THE    MASTERY 


THE     MASTERY 


BY 


MARK    LEE    LUTHER 

Author  of  "  The  Henchman,"  "  The  Favor 
of  Princes^'  etc. 


gorfe 
THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

LONDON  :    MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LTD. 
1904 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1904, 
BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  August,  1904. 


J.  S.  Gushing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


To 

Grace  Richmond  Luther 


2136707 


The   Mastery 


CHAPTER    I 


Two  men  who  looked  brothers,  but  were  uncle 
and  nephew,  smoked  in  the  shade  of  a  deck 
awning  of  a  Hudson  River  day  boat. 

"It  will  mean  big  money  for  you,"  said  the 
younger. 

"Yes,"  Philip  Drew  assented,  "if  politics 
doesn't  queer  the  deal,  I  shall  be  a  rich  man." 

"  A  millionnaire  ?  " 

"  Perhaps."  After  a  moment's  revery  he  added 
half  to  himself:  "  A  million  dollars  !  I  wonder 
what  my  mother  would  have  said  ?  Lafayette 
County  thought  father  a  Vanderbilt  because  he 
had  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  dollars  tucked 
away  in  farm  mortgages." 

Young  Harris  was  too  engrossed  with  his  per 
sonal  day-dreams  to  speculate  about  his  grand 
parents. 

"  I'll  come  pretty  near  moving  into  Easy  Street 
myself,"  he  laughed.  "  An  uncle  with  a  street 


2  THE    MASTERY 

railway  franchise  can  give  a  fairy  godmother  cards 
and  spades." 

"  It's  not  ours  yet." 

"  It  is  as  good  as  ours  with  you  pushing  it, 
Philip.  What  you  want,  you  generally  get. 
Maybe  when  I'm  a  simon-pure  magnate,"  he 
went  on  jocosely,  "  Katherine  will  deign  to  wear 
a  solitaire." 

Drew  smiled  indulgently  over  at  the  wholesome, 
clean-cut  young  fellow.  He  had  been  favored 
with  many  bulletins  of  this  particular  love-affair 
since  its  tropic  beginnings  at  a  watering-place  two 
summers  ago. 

"  Then  it's  not  a  bona-fide  engagement  yet  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  I  consider  it  an  engagement.  Katherine  calls 
it  an  understanding  —  or  did  before  she  went  to 
that  New  York  finishing  school." 

"  And  now,  Dick  ?  " 

"  Now  it's  a  misunderstanding  apparently.  She 
has  me  guessing.  It's  rather  strange  you  two 
have  never  met,  backing  her  father  politically  as 
long  as  you  have." 

"  Men  don't  mix  their  families  with  their  poli 
tics  much.  Besides,  I've  never  been  a  carpet 
knight." 

"  That's  just  why  you'll  like  her,"  Dick  argued. 


THE    MASTERY  3 

"  Crusty  bachelors  are  her  specialty.  Katherine's 
had  an  odd  training.  Barring  those  two  years  in 
the  New  York  school,  her  father  has  had  her 
education  in  his  own  hands,  and  this  summer  she 
actually  served  awhile  as  his  private  secretary. 
You'd  look  to  find  a  blue-stocking  in  the  daughter 
of  a  man  old-fashioned  enough  to  quote  Horace 
in  the  United  States  Senate  nowadays." 

"  Logically." 

"Well,  the  illogical  fact  is  that  she's  the  jolliest 
blend  of  nonsense  and  horse  sense  sweet-and- 
twenty  ever  embodied." 

"Hear!  hear!"   Drew  applauded. 

"  Scoff,  you  cynic,  scoff!     We're  younger  than 

» 
you. 

"  Yes ;  I  mustn't  forget  that,"  said  his  uncle, 
soberly.  "  Isn't  it  time  we  sighted  the  house  ?  " 

"  We'll  see  it  as  soon  as  we  round  the  next 
point.  There's  a  lot  of  stuff  about  it,  by  the  way, 
in  this  new  guide  I  picked  up  at  the  news  stand. 
Listen  :  f  This  storied  region,  teeming  with  quaint 
legends  of  the  Dutch  settlement  and  the  later 
Revolutionary  struggle,  whose  historic  arena '  — 
that's  not  where  the  thing  begins  !  Here  you 
are :  '  Crowning  the  wooded  point  to  the  left, 
we  glimpse  the  red  roofs  of  "  The  Beeches,"  the 
well-known  residence  of  the  ex-Secretary  of  the 


4  THE    MASTERY 

Treasury,  John  A.  Wentworth,  now  senior  United 
States  senator  from  New  York.  This  stately 
hall,  suggesting  in  its  appointments  the  country- 
seats  of  England,  was,  before  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Wentworth,  the  scene  of  a  brilliant  and  lavish 
hospitality.  Martin  Van  Buren,  Daniel  Web 
ster,  Washington  Irving,  Louis  Kossuth,  Jenny 
Lind,  Charles  Dickens,  Dom  Pedro,  Emperor  of 
Brazil,  and  many  other  celebrities,  native  and 
foreign,  have,  at  one  time  or  another,  been  here 
entertained.  Although  this  gayer  phase  of  its  life 
is  past,  "The  Beeches  "  yet  enjoys  the  repute  of  a 
political  Mecca,  and  within  its  walls  — 

"  Bother  the  guide-book,"  Drew  interrupted. 
"  Here's  the  house  itself." 

The  home  defined  itself  rapidly.  Bit  by  bit 
they  distinguished  the  gray  Tudor  front,  ivy- 
grown  ;  the  pleasant  places  of  the  gardens ;  a 
pergola  heaped  with  vines ;  the  ordered  masses 
of  the  shrubbery,  some  late-flowering  scarlet  blos 
som  salient ;  and  wide  reaches  of  greensward 
sloping  beneath  high-vaulted  leafage  to  the  water's 
edge.  Then  they  swept  by  and  on  toward  a 
headland,  whose  up-flung,  wolfish  muzzle,  veiled 
with  a  light  film  of  early  September  haze,  set  the 
horizon's  boundary  across  the  bay,  and  frowned 
over  against  the  river  town  of  Dutch  name,  ante- 


THE    MASTERY  5 

cedents,  and  tranquillity,  which  was  their  landing- 
place. 

"  There  she  is  !  There's  Katherine  !  "  cried 
Dick,  swinging  his  hat  as  the  boat  made  her 
dock.  "  She's  that  stunning  girl  in  a  trap  on  the 
edge  of  the  crowd.  See  !  Her  horse  just  shied." 

"  Rather  stocky,  reddish  hair  —  " 

"  Reddish  nothing !  "  snorted  his  nephew. 
"  Katherine's  hair  is  black." 

"  Excuse  me,  son,"  Drew  rejoined  mildly.  "  I 
meant  the  horse." 

"  Slender  figure,  duck  suit,"  Dick  particular 
ized  ;  "  gray  eyes,  where  you'd  look  for  black." 

In  common  with  three  crowded  decks,  Drew 
decided  that  Katherine  Wentworth  was  superla 
tively  good  to  see ;  Dick  had  a  habit  of  falling  in 
love  with  that  sort  of  girl.  In  common  with  a 
lesser  audience,  some  minutes  later,  he  thought 
he  detected  on  Dick's  part  a  vain  overture  for  a 
kiss. 

"  This  is  the  venerable  uncle  I  brag  about," 
was  Harris's  informal  presentation. 

The  girl  thought  Drew  a  far  from  patriarchal 
figure  as  she  made  a  place  for  him  beside  her,  and 
bade  Dick  dispose  himself  behind.  In  this  she 
shared  the  usual  first  impression  of  those  who 
had  known  the  man  only  through  his  works. 


6  THE    MASTERY 

But  an  hour  before  her  father  had  spoken  of  the 
coming  guest's  precocious  successes  :  how  he  had 
become  district-attorney  of  his  county  at  twenty- 
eight,  his  city's  mayor  at  thirty ;  and  how,  in  the 
half-dozen  years  since  he  quitted  public  office,  he 
had  filled  a  niche  peculiarly  his  own  in  his  party's 
state  committee.  And  yet  he  looked  scarcely 
older  than  Dick !  Their  likeness  was  marked. 
The  same  frank  eye,  strongly  modelled  nose,  and 
firm,  clean-shaven  lower  face  distinguished  both. 
Each  also  made  the  intangible,  yet  very  real, 
appeal  to  the  affections  which  men  call  magnetic. 
The  resemblance  ended  where  character  began. 
The  net  impression  conveyed  by  the  nephew  was 
one  of  buoyant  promise.  Drew's  atmosphere 
was  less  volatile.  One  guessed  that  he  had  done 
things,  that  he  would  continue  to  do  things. 

At  saying  things  the  girl  jumped  at  the  conclu 
sion  that  he  was  less  facile.  Drew  was  never  at  a 
loss  to  find  some  common  ground  with  women 
of  mature  years,  but  he  was  a  man's  man,  pri 
marily,  to  whom  girlhood  was  a  sealed  book, 
wonderful,  elusive,  a  beautiful  mystery.  But 
Katherine,  who  was  no  mystery  to  herself,  misun 
derstood  his  silence  as  during  the  brief  drive  she 
saw  one  after  another  of  her  conversational  offer 
ings  languish  to  prompt  extinction,  unless  bol- 


THE    MASTERY  7 

stered  by  Dick ;  and  she  passed  from  wonder  to 
pique,  and  from  pique  to  a  resolve  that  she  would 
yet  show  this  indifferent  person  that  her  wits 
were  not  beneath  his  notice. 

As  they  wound  a  deep-shaded  avenue  into  the 
grounds,  they  saw  the  senator  advance  along  an 
upper  terrace  to  meet  them  at  the  driveway. 
Dick  lingered  while  a  groom  came  to  relieve 
Katherine. 

"  You've  a  very  good-looking  uncle,"  she 
remarked,  following  Drew  with  her  gray  eyes ; 
"  but  doesn't  he  think  girls  know  anything  ?  " 

"Eh?" 

"  He  didn't  seem  to  consider  it  worth  while  to 
talk  to  me." 

"  Oh,  Philip  is  a  trifle  shy  with  petticoats," 
Harris  returned  carelessly.  "What  I  want  to 
know,  Katherine,  is  why  you  snubbed  me  at  the 
dock  ?  " 

"  Snubbed  you  ?  " 

"  You  knew  I  wanted  to  kiss  you." 

"  How  could  I  ?  " 

"  A  girl  who  really  cared  would  know.  She'd 
expect  it  of  me." 

"  How  bold  of  her  !  "  teased  Katherine.  "  By 
the  way,  Dick,  do  you  like  my  belt  clasp  ? 
Uncle  Austin  sent  it  by  aunt.  Did  I  write  that 


8  THE    MASTERY 

Aunt  Sue  is  here  ?  The  admiral  picked  it  up  in 
Rio  Janeiro  when  his  squadron  touched  there  last 
spring.  It's  genuine  Spanish  Renaissance." 

Dick  ignored  the  trinket  altogether. 

"  You  don't  love  me,"  he  accused. 

She  tantalized  him  with  a  mocking  smile. 

"You're  a  silly  boy.  When  do  you  think 
you'll  grow  up  ?  " 

"  You  don't  love  me,"  he  repeated  tragically. 
"  You've  blighted  my  life." 

"After  dinner  you  will  feel  better,"  she 
reassured.  "  Try  and  pull  yourself  together  now 
and  meet  a  pretty  girl.  Harriet  has  come  down 
stairs,  I  see." 

Dick's  drooping  spirits  underwent  revival. 

"Harriet?"  he  queried.     "  Who  is  Harriet  ?" 

"  The  dearest  girl  in  the  world.  But  you've 
heard  me  speak  of  Harriet  Reeves.  My  first 
year  at  the  Sisters'  school  was  her  last,  but  I 
refused  to  lose  sight  of  her,  even  when  she  exiled 
herself  to  a  social  settlement  in  the  slums. 
Whenever  I  could  drag  her  away  from  her  street 
arabs  for  an  afternoon,  we  would  — 

"  I  say!  "   Harris  ejaculated,  his  face  reddening. 

He  retained  the  same  fine  glow,  Katherine  took 
note,  as  he  stammered  over  the  introduction 
immediately  ensuing.  It  did  not  escape  her, 


THE    MASTERY  9 

furthermore,  that  a  sympathetic  blush,  quite  out 
doing  Dick's,  dyed  the  cheek,  forehead,  and  neck 
of  the  dearest  girl  in  the  world.  Since  social 
awkwardness  was  not  one  of  Harriet's  traits,  and 
as  Dick  was  neither  by  nature  nor  calling  of 
a  diffident  humor,  Katherine  had  her  thoughts. 
When  a  light  tap  came  at  her  door  after  the 
guests  had  been  shown  their  rooms,  she  divined 
that  explanations  —  or  complications  —  were  at 
hand. 

"  Come,"  she  said. 

Harriet  Reeves  entered  swiftly. 

"  Katherine,"  she  exclaimed,  "  you  saw  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  saw.  Moreover,  I  see !  You're 
flushing  still  —  adorably." 

"  Don't  make  it  worse  for  me,"  protested  the 
girl.  She  was  of  a  dainty  Dresden-shepherdess 
type  of  prettiness  with  delicate  flesh  tints  which 
the  rencounter  below  stairs  had  heightened  cap- 
tivatingly.  "I  assure  you,"  she  added,  "it's 
quite  bad  enough  as  it  is." 

"  You've  evidently  met  Dick  before." 

"  Yes,  but  I  didn't  know  then  he  was  your 
Dick  — the  villain!" 

It  was  the  dark-haired  girl's  turn  to  flush. 

"  Don't  call  him  my  Dick,"  she  requested. 
"  I  don't  claim  proprietorship."  She  turned 


io  THE    MASTERY 

away  as  she  spoke  and  busied  herself  with  the 
fastenings  of  her  dress. 

Harriet  Reeves  gave  her  a  puzzled  glance. 

"  I  misunderstood,"  she  said.  "  You're  not 
offended,  are  you  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not.     Go  on." 

"  He  came  to  the  Settlement  when  I  was  first 
in  the  work,"  Harriet  continued,  with  a  different 
tone,  "  and  I  happened  to  be  the  only  one  to  see 
him.  He  said  that  he  was  on  a  New  York  paper, 
but  somehow  I  —  he  —  " 

"  But  somehow  you  didn't  mind  that  so  very 
much  ?  I  understand." 

"  Katherine  !  " 

"  You're  quite  excusable.  I  know  Dick's 
blarneying  way." 

"  I  suppose  I  was  a  goose  to  listen,"  Harriet 
admitted,  "but  he  seemed  so  kind,  so  sympathetic, 
that  in  the  end  I  didn't  think  of  him  as  a  reporter 
at  all.  In  fact,  I  talked  freely,  showed  him  every 
thing." 

"  And  then  ?  " 

"Well,  afterward,  I  found  out  that  he  only 
wanted  local  color  for  a  Ghetto  article.  He  sent 
me  a  marked  copy." 

Katherine  paused  halfway  into  a  frock  to  vent 
a  ringing  laugh. 


THE   MASTERY  n 

"  Dick  to  the  life  !  "  she  said.     "  Is  that  all  ?  " 

"All!" 

"  He  didn't  print  your  name  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Or  your  picture,  surely  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not." 

"  And  wasn't  it  a  good  article  ?  " 

"Yes,"  Harriet  conceded;  "it  was  clever  — 
very." 

"  Then  I  can't  see  that  he's  such  a  sinner.  I 
dare  say  he  flirted  with  you  a  little,  but  you 
mustn't  mind.  Dick  flirts  for  the  same  reason 
that  cats  and  dogs  fight  —  it  is  his  nature  to.  Be 
merciful." 

Harriet  refused  to  smile. 

"  You  don't  understand,"  she  said.  "  I  didn't 
realize  it  at  the  time,  but  when  I  talked  about  the 
Settlement  that  day,  I  simply  turned  my  heart 
inside  out  to  him." 

"  And  for  newspaper  copy  —  I  see." 

"  You  can't  know  how  I  feel  about  the  work." 

Katherine  was  silent  for  a  little  interval  as  she 
moved  to  and  fro  before  her  dressing-table. 

"  Dick's  not  a  hopeless  reprobate,"  she  said 
finally.  "  Indeed,  in  some  ways  he's  one  of  the 
nicest  chaps  I  know.  Be  as  civil  to  him  as  you 
can." 


12  THE    MASTERY 

Harriet  went  away  presently,  and  her  toilet 
complete,  Katherine  lingered  a  moment  in  her 
window,  which  embraced  a  wide  and  much- 
beloved  prospect.  Just  beneath,  in  its  old-time 
quaintness  of  box-edgings  and  labyrinthine  paths, 
bloomed  the  garden,  planted  year  upon  year  as 
Wentworth's  wife  had  loved  it.  There  were 
rose  trees  which  she  had  tended ;  the  vermilion 
bands  of  phlox  might  well  have  been  her  own  ; 
all  the  mid-century  favorites  —  the  hollyhocks, 
the  peonies,  sweet  marjoram,  sweet  william,  thyme, 
larkspur,  lavender,  flower-de-luce  —  each  in  its 
season  flowered  in  places  which  dead  hands  had 
appointed.  At  the  garden's  centre  gleamed  the 
white  standard  of  a  sun-dial.  To  the  right  and 
above  the  pergola  ran  from  the  terrace,  heavy- 
freighted  with  ripening  grapes.  Spread  out  be 
low  was  the  river,  glancing  and  shadowing  as  the 
day  waned.  Beyond  all  —  beyond  the  terrace, 
the  garden,  the  river — towered  the  distant  Wolf's 
Head,  its  rugged  cliffs  burnished  by  the  level 
western  rays. 

A  blithe  laugh  drew  Katherine's  glance  to  the 
entrance  of  the  pergola,  and  then  she  laughed 
too.  It  was  Harriet  practising  civility  toward 
Dick.  Then  from  another  quarter  issued  her 
father's  quaint  figure,  flanked  by  Mrs.  Austin 


THE    MASTERY  13 

and  Philip  Drew ;  and  as  she  perceived  that  the 
mute  guest  had  found  a  fluent  tongue,  she 
laughed  again. 

"  You'll  talk  to  me  yet,"  she  said. 


CHAPTER   II 

IT  was  in  the  dozy  hours  of  Sunday  after 
noon  that  her  triumph  befell.  Mrs.  Austin  was 
napping ;  Harriet,  tireless  in  good  works,  had 
vanished  under  shelter  of  the  same  parasol  with 
Dick  in  the  direction  of  the  river.  Chancing 
into  the  library,  Katherine  came  upon  Drew  and 
her  father  with  their  heads  together  over  a  blue 
print  gridironed  by  railway  lines  and  city  streets. 

"  When  I  was  a  boy,  sir,"  Wentworth  was  say 
ing,  "  there  were  orchards  where  your  city  hall 
now  stands.  And  such  orchards !  Heigh-ho ! 
I'm  an  old  man." 

"Not  old,  senator,  —  ripe,"  Drew  amended. 
"  We'll  demand  a  long  pull  in  the  harness  from 
you  yet.  We'd  have  sent  you  higher  if  you  had 
consented." 

Wentworth  smiled  aside  the  allusion  to  presi 
dential  honors.  His  name  had  figured  in  the 
balloting  of  more  than  one  national  convention. 
Once,  even,  the  nomination  would  have  been  his 
for  the  word,  but  that  word  had  to  him  seemed 
to  mean  disloyalty  to  another,  and  he  had  reso- 

14 


THE    MASTERY  15 

lutely  put  the  prize  away.  When  he  fell,  it 
would  signify  the  passing  of  a  landmark.  Suc 
cessively  representative,  governor,  cabinet  officer, 
senator,  and  one  of  a  triumvirate  which  the  state's 
then  dominant  party  obeyed  as  its  pilots,  he  was 
none  the  less  a  picturesque  survival  from  a  by 
gone  age.  The  statesman's  traditions,  his  prac 
tice,  his  very  manner  of  speech,  antedated  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion.  He  was  "  your  most 
obedient "  upon  introduction,  "  your  humble  ser 
vant"  in  his  letters,  while  "sir"  interlarded  his 
talk  as  it  did  that  of  the  contemporaries  of 
Andrew  Jackson  and  the  younger  Adams,  whose 
fashion  of  neckwear,  or  a  slightly  modified  vari 
ant,  he  quaintly  retained.  When  he  said,  "  Mr. 
Webster  once  discussed  in  my  hearing,"  or  "  Mr. 
Van  Buren,  sir,  assured  me  that  Mr.  Jefferson 
advised,"  a  fold  in  the  curtain  of  the  past  lifted, 
and  the  demigods  of  our  political  pantheon  were 
seen  to  walk  and  talk  as  men. 

In  the  moment  of  his  tribute  Drew  at  once 
perceived  Katherine  and  the  fact  that  she  was  no 
sharer  in  Wentworth's  mellow  philosophy.  He 
had  heard  fantastic  tales  of  the  reliance  which 
the  great  man  had  come  latterly  to  place  in  this 
daughter :  tales  of  their  mutual  devotion,  of  their 
rare  comradeship  ;  tales,  too,  that  he  scouted,  of 


1 6  THE    MASTERY 

her  political  sagacity.  Yet  none  of  them,  nor  yet 
his  own  hero-worship,  quite  prepared  him  for  the 
passionate  idolatry  which  at  that  instant,  and  for 
that  instant  only,  leaped  to  its  frank  avowal  in 
the  girl's  singularly  beautiful  eyes.  He  was 
moved  by  this  revelation,  and  the  wonder  of  it 
neutralized  his  chagrin  at  the  interruption  of  a 
talk  for  which  he  had  bided  his  time  ever  since 
his  arrival.  He  had  accepted  this  chance  invita 
tion  to  "The  Beeches"  with  the  thought  that  it 
might  somehow  further  the  topping  enterprise 
which  absorbed  all  his  energies,  the  great  decisive 
battle  of  his  professional  career. 

Katherine  was  retreating  when  Wentworth 
spied  her. 

"  Don't  run  away,  my  dear,"  he  called.  "  Mr. 
Drew  was  just  going  to  tell  me  about  his  street- 
railway  war.  I'd  like  to  have  you  listen.  You 
see,  sir,"  he  added,  "  Katherine  has  come  almost 
to  be  my  second  memory." 

The  girl  passed  to  a  seat  in  the  library's  broad 
oriel,  and  Drew  turned  again  to  her  father. 
Wentworth's  right  hand  described  an  oratorical 
arc  which  the  galleries  of  the  United  States  Sen 
ate  particularly  admired. 

"  Now,  then,"  he  said,  "  the  whole  story,  poli 
tics  and  all." 


THE    MASTERY  17 

"  We  rather  hoped  to  steer  clear  of  politics," 
Drew  prefaced ;  "  state  politics  at  least.  After 
all,  this  project  of  ours  is  simply  a  business  propo 
sition.  Two  Rivers  has  grown  like  Jonah's  gourd, 
and  everything  save  the  street-car  system  has  kept 
step.  The  directors  of  the  old  company  have 
had  ample  time  to  give  the  city  the  kind  of  ser 
vice  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  people 
require,  but  they've  done  nothing.  Neither  do 
they  want  a  new  company  to  do  anything.  They're 
pained  at  our  effrontery.  But  the  public  laughs." 

"Is  the  press  friendly?"  Wentworth  queried, 
absently  twirling  his  glasses. 

"  You've  touched  the  crux  of  the  situation. 
We  sounded  the  newspaper  people  at  the  right 
time,  and  they  all  promised  their  support.  You 
see  the  monopoly  has  bullied  us  so  long  that 
there's  not  a  sheet  in  town  which  isn't  in  the 
habit  of  printing  a  hot  jeremiad  every  time  an 
editorial  writer  happens  to  adorn  a  strap  in  the 
rush  hours  and  have  a  fat  woman  trample  his  toes." 

His  exposition  of  the  rousing  of  the  press 
stirred  a  laugh  in  the  window-seat.  It  ran  a  scale 
like  a  little  chime,  and  amid  the  statistical  lumber 
packing  Drew's  practical  brain  lodged  the  antic 
notion  that  he  should  like  to  touch  its  spring 
again. 


i8  THE    MASTERY 

"  With  one  exception  the  newspapers  made 
good  their  word,"  he  went  on.  "  The  exception 
was  the  Mail" 

Wentworth's  far-away  look  narrowed  with  sud 
den  interest. 

"  The  Mail"  he  repeated.   "  Redfern's  organ  ?  " 

"  Precisely  ;  James  Y.  Redfern's." 

The  old  man  stopped  twirling  his  glasses. 

"  I  don't  understand  that,"  he  owned.  "  One 
of  our  own  people  !  " 

"  Perhaps  he  wasn't  let  in  on  the  ground  floor." 

Drew  was  astounded,  for  the  quiet  suggestion 
which  broke  the  silence  came  from  the  girl.  To 
what  unclassified  species  of  the  genus  woman  did 
she  belong  ?  He  threw  her  father  a  questioning 
look,  but  the  senator  seemed  to  take  it  as  a  matter 
of  course.  With  fresh  interest  Drew  recurred  to 
the  window-seat. 

"  I  dare  say  Redfern  would  have  settled  rather 
cosily  on  the  ground  floor,  Miss  Wentworth,"  he 
admitted,  answering  her  as  he  would  a  man. 
"  The  cruel  phase  of  it  was  that  he  couldn't 
even  burgle  the  back  yard  —  no,  not  with  a  dark 
lantern  and  a  jimmy." 

"He  didn't  want  stock  then?"  put  in  Went 
worth. 

"No;  not  stock,"  the  lawyer  answered.     "It 


THE    MASTERY  19 

was  real  estate  options.  It  seems  he  made  a  bee- 
line  from  our  confidential  talk  to  the  owners  of 
unimproved  land  along  the  proposed  right  of 
way.  His  dreams  must  have  been  magnificent. 
He  woke,  however,  to  the  fact  that  somebody 
else  with  a  taste  for  options  had  got  out  of 
bed  a  little  earlier." 

Katherine  laughed  again,  and  Drew  let  fall  a 
slow  smile  at  her  quick-witted  appreciation.  The 
window-seat  became  a  point  of  orientation. 

"  We're  not  posing  as  philanthropists,"  he 
added.  "  We  shall  make  a  dollar  wherever  we 
legitimately  can." 

"  It  is  cheap  wisdom  to  tell  you  that  you  should 
have  thrown  a  sop  to  Redfern's  vanity,"  observed 
the  senator,  gently.  "  His  influence  undoubtedly 
carries  weight  in  Lafayette  County  —  and  else 
where." 

"  I  don't  set  up  to  be  much  of  a  politician. 
The  affair  began  as  business,  and  whatever  our 
party  associations,  Redfern  and  I  have  had  no 
commercial  dealings.  In  business  matters  I  don't 
tie  up  to  firebrands." 

"  Firebrand  !  Aye,  so  he  is  —  brilliant,  useful 
in  season,  yet  a  menace." 

"  He  is  the  brains  of  the  fight  against  us.  So 
far  his  hostility  has  run  to  mischief-making 


20  THE    MASTERY 

among  the  property  owners  and  we've  had  in 
junctions  to  vacate.  But  the  real  danger,  as  I 
see  it,  is  the  importance  which  the  state  board 
of  railroad  commissioners  may  attach  to  these 
cooked-up  protests  when  we  come  to  ask  their 
consent.  Redfern  is  clouding  the  issue  with  poli 
tics,  and  politically  the  board  is  an  enigma.  If 
possible,  senator,  I'd  like  to  make  a  draft  on 
your  influence  to  insure  us  fair  play." 

Wentworth  brought  himself  back  from  one  of 
his  meditative  flights. 

"  You  would  better  see  Spedding,"  he  said, 
after  a  little  formula  of  his.  "  Spedding  is  on 
the  ground." 

Drew  reserved  the  information  that  the  master 
spirit  of  state  politics  had  already  been  seen.  A 
Wentworth  man,  so-called,  he  had  nevertheless 
cultivated  close  relations  with  the  Triumvirate's 
presiding  genius.  Wentworth  was  a  triumvir  by 
grace  of  statesmanship ;  Spedding  through  a  sort 
of  apostolic  succession  from  a  famous  line  of 
political  adepts  who  for  generations  had  made 
Albany  their  fulcrum ;  the  third  member,  Mad- 
dox,  was  a  New  Yorker  in  residence  and  rule. 
Once  the  group  had  included  a  fourth  member  in 
the  person  of  a  former  colleague  of  Wentworth's, 
but  a  general  landslide  some  years  since  had 


THE    MASTERY  21 

temporarily  loosened  Spedding's  hold  upon  the 
Legislature,  and  the  present  junior  senator  be 
longed  to  the  other  party. 

"  I  should  like  to  enlist  you  both,"  Drew 
pursued.  "  I  think  a  word  from  you  or  Mr. 
Spedding  would  clear  the  atmosphere.  If  the 
commissioners  could  hear  our  case  wholly  un 
biassed  by  friendship  or  party  affiliations,  we 
should  fear  nothing.  But  that  is  asking  too 
much  of  human  nature.  One  of  our  ( three 
fates,'  I  learned  lately,  owed  his  first  chance  at 
the  public  crib  to  Redfern,  and  he's  not  for 
gotten  it.  Another  of  them,  as  we  know,  is  so 
amiably  disposed  toward  all  mankind  that  his 
backbone  has  become  a  fluid.  But  to  me  Poole 
seems  the  prize  conundrum  of  the  lot.  How  can 
we  best  reach  one  who  is  not  a  politician,  not  an 
up-state  man,  not  even  of  our  own  party  camp?  " 

Wentworth  considered. 

"  Of  course  there's  Mr.  Maddox  in  last 
resort,"  he  offered  tentatively,  "but — " 

"Just  so  —  'but,'"  smiled  Drew. 

Katherine  watched  this  interchange  of  half-ex 
pressed  opinions  curiously.  Her  father's  friends 
always  took  this  ambiguous  attitude  when  the 
metropolitan  leader's  name  came  up,  and  for  all  her 
alertness  she  had  never  quite  made  out  the  reason. 


22  THE    MASTERY 

"  Poole  ?  "  ruminated  Wentworth.  "  I  don't 
think  I  ever  had  speech  with  him.  You  see, 
sir,  I  don't  meet  these  men  as  Spedding  does. 
Who  were  his  sponsors  ?  " 

"  Labor  organizations  in  general  —  he's  the 
labor  member,  you'll  remember.  In  particular,  a 
district  leader  in  New  York  City  —  " 

"  Named  Reeves?"  supplied  Katherine. 

Drew  stared  into  her  eager  young  face  in  frank 
amaze.  Wentworth  himself  seemed  puzzled. 
She  slipped  from  her  seat  and  came  forward 
smiling  at  their  bewilderment. 

"  It's  not  sorcery,"  she  laughed;  "just  coinci 
dence.  Your  Mr.  Reeves  is  Harriet's  father, 
that's  all." 

"  Bless  my  soul ! "  ejaculated  the  senator. 
"  So  he  is.  I'd  forgotten  it  completely." 

"  I've  heard  her  mention  Mr.  Poole  scores  of 
times,"  Katherine  went  on,  "and  if  I'm  not 
greatly  mistaken,  he's  her  godfather.  At  any 
rate  he's  an  old  friend  of  the  Reeves  family  and 
has  petted  Harriet  since  she  was  a  baby.  Now 
if  you  —  "  she  paused,  smiling  from  Drew  to  her 
father,  and  from  Wentworth  back  to  Drew ; 
then  with  a  wave  of  color  she  impetuously 
ended,  "  Will  you  let  a  girl  try  what  she 
can  do  ? " 


THE    MASTERY  23 

Wentworth  continued  to  bless  his  soul,  and  his 
glance  sought  Drew's,  but  the  lawyer's  face  was  a 
riddle. 

"  Really  it  does  seem  feasible,"  the  old  man 
reasoned.  "  They're  human,  these  men,  as  you 
say,  sir,  and  unconsciously  the  things  which 
interest  our  friends  —  ah,  but  it's  a  delicate 
mission,  my  little  diplomat !  " 

"  I  know  I  can  manage  it  as  it  should  be  man 
aged,"  Katherine  answered  with  quiet  confidence. 
"It  will  not  seem  to  come  from  you,  father;  nor 
from  you,  Mr.  Drew.  Just  one  girl's  chat  with 
another,  you  know." 

"Well,  if  Mr.  Drew  —  "  Wentworth  hesitated 
with  a  laugh. 

Katherine  swept  round  upon  the  guest  like  a 
young  whirlwind,  her  eyes  a  petition,  her  smile 
a  challenge. 

"  You  don't  believe  in  me,"  she  taunted. 

"  But  I  do,"  the  man  found  himself  protesting 
fervidly.  "  Indeed  I  do,  and  here's  my  hand 
upon  the  compact." 

He  discerned  presently  that  something  outside 
and  beyond  pure  reason  had  won  him  to  this  aston 
ishing  alliance,  and  was  at  pains  to  tell  himself 
that  it  was  because  they  two  had  somehow  gained 
the  breeze-swept  plateau  where  men  meet  men. 


CHAPTER    III 

DREW  appreciated  her  practicality  better  at 
evening.  He  and  the  senator  were  chatting  in 
the  twilight  upon  an  ancient  seat  of  yellowed 
marble  which  in  the  heyday  of  his  remote  honey 
moon  Wentworth  had  ravished  from  an  impecu 
nious  Italy.  Fragments  of  the  talk  of  Dick  and 
the  girls,  who  were  making  a  slow  detour  of  the 
redolent  garden  paths  below,  filled  in  the  pauses 
of  the  old  man's  reminiscence. 

"  You  see,"  Harris  was  setting  forth,  "  I  look 
after  the  literary  bureau,  which  is  something  that  no 
scheme  involving  millions  can  very  well  get  along 
without.  The  enemy  took  me  as  a  joke  at  first, 
but  they've  had  to  hire  another  newspaper  man 
to  offset  my  work.  Like  the  successful  break 
fast  foods  and  hair  tonics  I'm  being  imitated. 
Oughtn't  people  to  use  their  own  judgment  ?  " 
he  echoed  a  remark  of  Harriet's.  "To  be  sure 
they  ought,  but  they  don't.  The  average  man 
lets  his  newspaper  do  his  thinking.  I  would  be 
ruled  out  of  Looking  Backward  and  all  the  other 

24 


THE    MASTERY  25 

Utopias,  but  you'll  find  the  press  agent  warbling 
his  tuneful  lay  in  this  world  yet  awhile.  You 
bump  against  funny  things  in  these  big  deals," 
he  pursued, — "dramatic  things,  sometimes,  which 
the  novelists  ought  to  annex.  Why,  only  the 
other  day  —  " 

"And  that  reminded  Mr.  Lincoln  of  a  Sanga- 
mon  County  story,"  Wentworth  reclaimed  Drew's 
vagrant  attention. 

The  young  fellow's  talk  was  still  of  the  great 
enterprise  when  he  came  again  within  earshot, 
and  as  Harriet's  sweet  laugh  followed  a  sally  of 
Dick's  which  Katherine's  light  spur  prompted,  it 
dawned  tardily  upon  Drew  that  the  flank  move 
ment  for  the  capture  of  Fort  Poole  had  already 
begun. 

Katherine  smiled  when  he  let  her  know  that  he 
had  overheard. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  Dick  is  very  effective  as  an 
unconscious  missionary." 

"  Would  a  word  from  me  do  any  good  ?  " 

"  Dear  no  !  She  thinks  it's  the  street  railway 
she's  interested  in,  but  it's  not  —  that  is,  not  yet." 

"You  mean  —  " 

"  I  mean  it's  Dick's  breezy  style  of  telling 
things,"  Katherine  replied.  "  Girls  always  take 
to  Dick." 


26  THE    MASTERY 

Drew  saw  the  gulf  yawn  which  his  nephew's 
"  We're  younger  than  you  "  had  disclosed  yester 
day. 

"  I  understand,"  he  returned. 

The  girl  seemed  with  her  quick  intuition  to 
feel  the  passing  shadow  which  the  man  supposed 
hidden. 

"  But  you  can  help  in  another  way,"  she  at 
once  added. 

"How?" 

"By  staying  over  to-morrow  —  Labor  Day  — 
as  you  were  invited  to  do.  I  gathered  from 
Dick  that  you  thought  of  running  away  after 
breakfast.  Now  wouldn't  that  be  a  blunder  ? 
To-night  Harriet  is  merely  an  acquaintance  of  the 
railway ;  by  to-morrow  night  she  may  be  its  fast 
friend." 

"  Suppose  we  leave  the  mercenary  motive  out," 
Drew  rejoined.  "  I'll  stay  because  I'd  like  to 
stay." 

"That's  splendid,"  exclaimed  the  girl,  enthusias 
tically.  "  Now  I  can  have  the  cat-boat  out  again. 
Father  has  felt  timid  lately  about  my  going  out 
alone.  Dick  told  me  that  you're  fond  of  sailing. 
We'll  beat  a  few  miles  past  Wolf's  Head  to 
morrow  morning  if  the  wind  is  right,  and  run 
home  in  time  for  luncheon." 


THE   MASTERY  27 

On  Katherine's  bringing  up  the  project  at 
breakfast  Wentworth  said  that  his  sailing  days 
were  over;  while  Mrs.  Austin  declared  that,  as 
a  chaperon,  her  usefulness  ended  at  the  water's 
edge. 

"  It's  a  humiliating  thing  for  a  sailor's  wife  to 
confess,"  she  said,  "  but  even  a  ferryboat  can 
make  me  unhappy." 

Dick  suggested  that  she  might  keep  a'n  eye 
upon  them  through  a  telescope. 

"  An  old  tabby  at  Bar  Harbor,"  he  unfortu 
nately  went  on,  "  once  saw  a  proposal  in  that 
way." 

"  This  old  tabby  won't  resort  to  such  extreme 
measures,"  Mrs.  Austin  rejoined  grimly. 

Katherine  marshalled  her  little  party  betimes  at 
the  dock,  where  the  speckless  boat  courtesied  on  the 
swell  cast  by  a  passing  steamer,  and  with  Drew's 
help  made  the  preparations  to  embark.  He  saw 
that  she  touched  each  thing  about  the  boat  as  if 
she  loved  it. 

"  Now  since  you're  a  yachtsman,  Mr.  Drew  —  " 
she  offered  when  all  was  ready.  "  Dick  isn't,  I 
know." 

"  Can't  tell  a  spanker  from  a  spar,"  confessed 
Harris  without  shame,  as  he  escorted  Harriet 
with  pomp  and  circumstance  to  a  seat. 


28  THE    MASTERY 

"And  I'm  little  better  than  a  landlubber," 
Drew  modestly  disclaimed.  "  Let  me  watch  you 
handle  her,  Miss  Wentworth." 

Katherine's  eyes  sparkled  as  she  gathered  up 
the  tiller  ropes. 

"Very  well,"  she  said.  "I'll  be  captain. 
Don't  mutiny  if  I  treat  you  as  mere  ballast  along 
the  windward  rail  when  she  takes  the  bone  in  her 
teeth." 

From  his  vantage-point  as  "  mere  ballast " 
Drew  bent  an  interested  eye  upon  his  superior 
officer.  Her  untrammelled  head,  her  neck,  her 
arms,  bare  to  the  elbow,  were  all  browned  by 
months  of  outdoor  life,  but  the  tan  could  not 
hide  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  warm  tide  which 
raced  beneath  as  she  directed  the  half-animate 
creature  so  sensitively  responsive  to  her  lightest 
touch.  Its  moods  were  her  moods.  When  it 
flagged,  she  flagged  too.  When  it  squared  away 
in  some  stirring  flight,  reef  seemed  to  follow  reef 
in  the  girl's  spirit. 

On  the  homeward  run  the  wind  dropped,  and, 
after  fluky  perversities  which  bafHed  Drew's  and 
Katherine's  united  seamanship,  failed  altogether. 
The  day,  like  yesterday  and  all  early  September, 
was  of  a  piece  with  August,  and  great  lazy  masses 
of  white  cloud  defiled  continually  from  east  to 


THE   MASTERY  29 

west  across  the  blue.  Yet  the  lower  atmosphere 
was  still.  For  a  full  hour  the  cat-boat  drifted 
becalmed  in  the  shortening  shadow  of  Wolf's 
Head,  while  out  beyond  in  the  piping  heat,  now 
first  felt,  the  broad  river  seemed  fairly  to  steep. 

"  We'll  simply  have  to  take  to  the  oars  if  we're 
to  get  any  luncheon,"  Katherine  announced  reluc 
tantly,  as  Harriet  finished  a  settlement  story. 
"  Think  of  pulling  home  a  twenty-footer  in  this 
temperature  !  " 

Drew  assented  to  her  opinion. 

"  Dick,"  he  asked,  "  can  you  row  ?  " 

"  Whew  !  "  sighed  Harris,  warming  at  the  mere 
idea.  "  I  thought  this  was  a  pleasure  trip.  Let's 
maroon  the  captain." 

Katherine  dipped  a  finger  overboard  and  then 
held  it  aloft  trying  the  wind. 

"There's  just  a  breath,"  she  said,  peering  for  a 
visual  sign.  Then,  "  Oh,  look  !  "  she  exclaimed 
sharply.  "  Look  !  " 

The  turning  tide,  now  setting  gently  down 
stream,  had  at  length  borne  them  past  the  cliff, 
and  through  a  deep  cleft  in  the  hills  the  lower 
east  lay  exposed,  a  majestic  battle  array  of  leaden 
clouds  each  instant  piling  higher.  A  ragged 
violet  flame  rent  the  menacing  mass,  followed  by 
the  first  dread  organ  note  of  the  storm's  prelude. 


30  THE    MASTERY 

With  a  muffled  exclamation  Drew  sprang  for 
the  peak  halyard.  Katherine  dropped  to  the 
tiller,  her  face  gone  white. 

"  We  must  luff  before  it  strikes,"  she  called. 
"  There's  no  time  to  lower  the  sheet." 

There  was  time  for  nothing.  For  a  little 
moment  the  pines  on  the  great  cliff  droned  like  a 
giant  bagpipe  under  the  blackening  sky,  the  eerie 
sound  swelling  in  volume  with  added  voices  from 
rock  and  gorge  and  stream  till  all  Wolf's  Head 
seemed  to  snarl.  Then  the  storm  leaped  full 
upon  them.  As  he  clung  to  the  drunken  mast, 
blinded  by  the  furious  onslaught  of  wind  and 
rain,  Drew  saw  what  happened  but  dimly.  It 
was  a  blurred  series  of  instantaneous  pictures : 
a  straining  sheet  —  two  huddled  forms  in  the 
cockpit  —  a  girl's  chalky  face  at  the  tiller  — 
parting  halyards  —  a  wildly  jibing  boom;  then 
the  Hudson  closed  over  them. 

Drew  rose  easily  to  the  surface  and  a  vigorous 
stroke  brought  him  alongside  the  capsized  boat. 
Dick  and  Harriet,  clinging  to  each  other  and  a 
cork-stuffed  cushion,  floundered  almost  at  his 
side,  and  with  his  aid  laid  hold  upon  the  half- 
submerged  keel.  Drew  struggled  up  the  hull  and 
searched  the  scene  for  Katherine.  All  round  the 
river's  plane  was  pock-marked  by  the  hissing  rain. 


THE    MASTERY  31 

"  Katherine  !  "  He  strove  to  shout  her  name 
above  the  yelling  din. 

No  answer. 

Dick  and  his  charge  now  reached  Drew's  side 
and  the  three  peered  and  shouted  together,  but 
the  gale  jammed  their  voices  back  in  their  teeth. 
Drew  crawled  farther  up  the  hull  and  shook  the 
water  from  his  eyes.  Then  his  glance  traversed 
the  flattened  sail,  comprehending,  and  instantly 
he  dived.  It  was  as  still  as  the  grave  underneath 
after  the  outer  tumult ;  cold  as  the  grave  were  the 
ringers  which  met  his.  For  a  fearful  instant,  even, 
the  grave's  pallor  seemed  to  have  set  its  stamp 
upon  the  face  he  saw  when  sight  again  was  pos 
sible ;  but  clinging  with  his  burden  to  the  slippery 
gunwale  he  beheld  the  shut  eyelids  flutter,  half 
open,  droop  languidly,  then  part  wide.  Kathe- 
rine's  eyes  met  his  own. 

"You  do  live!"  he  cried.  "Thank  God! 
Thank  God!" 

He  got  her  upon  the  precarious  refuge  with 
the  others.  The  wind  had  spent  its  first  fury, 
but  the  rain  still  deluged  down,  and  the  crash  and 
roll  of  thunder  was  incessant.  Katherine  roused 
under  the  storm's  uproar. 

"  The  boom,"  she  tried  faintly  to  explain.  "  It 
stunned  me." 


32  THE    MASTERY 

"  Rest  if  you  can,"  he  bade  her.  "  We  won't 
sink." 

She  obeyed  like  a  child,  closing  her  eyes. 
Presently,  on  hearing  Harriet's  voice,  she  opened 
them  again  and  looked  at  the  girl  as,  supported 
by  Dick,  she  kept  her  uncertain  perch.  For  an 
instant,  also,  her  glance  rested  upon  Dick  who 
called  to  her  some  cheery  inconsequence  to  which 
she  made  no  reply.  Then  her  look  came  back  to 
the  man  in  the  hollow  of  whose  arm  she  lay. 

"  It  was  plucky  of  you  to  dive,"  she  said 
slowly.  "  You  saved  my  life." 

"  It  was  nothing.  Anybody  could  have  done 
it." 

"  You  did,"  she  answered  ;  and  her  eyes 
again  sought  Dick. 

The  wind  dropped,  the  downpour  lessened,  the 
sky  brightened  and  then  broke  in  sunshine;  a 
rainbow  built  itself  in  the  direction  of  "  The 
Beeches "  which  a  mist  still  veiled.  To  signal 
was  futile,  but  current  and  tide  were  aiding. 

"  We'll  ground  near  home,"  Drew  predicted. 

"  Yes,"  Katherine  answered.  "  The  point 
always  gathers  in  wreckage  like  an  arm." 

They  could  smile  a  little  at  their  plight  now 
that  Death,  a  moment  ago  so  near,  had  trailed 
his  dark  wings  elsewhere.  Harriet  preened  her 


THE    MASTERY  33 

soaked  plumage  in  comic  despair,  and  laughed 
hysterically  at  the  jokes  which  Dick  found  heart 
to  crack.  Katherine  was  irresponsive.  In  an 
hour  the  castaways  drifted  into  shelter  of  a  little 
cove  on  Wentworth's  estate  where  the  girl  told 
Drew  that  she  had  once  played  at  shipwreck. 


CHAPTER   IV 

DREW  arrived  home  with  the  early  morning, 
and  responsibility  met  him  at  the  carstep  in  the 
person  of  a  burly  man  with  anxiety  puckering  a 
face  meant  for  smiles. 

"  Powers  above,  Phil,"  he  broke  out,  "  but 
you're  a  comfortin'  sight.  It  just  rains  trouble 
when  you  leave." 

"  Worried,  McQuade  ?  "  asked  Drew,  shaking 
hands. 

"Worried!  It's  of  heart  disease  I'll  drop 
b'fore  this  crool  war  is  over.  Th'  old  company's 
stolen  a  march.  Two  hundred  of  their  dagoes 
began  rippin'  up  Union  Street  this  mornin'  an 
hour  b'fore  th'  whistles  blew." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  cried  Harris,  immediately 
alert.  "  They've  made  a  coup  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  about  th'  koo,"  said  the  Irish 
man,  "  but  they're  heavin'  up  th'  pavin'  stones  t' 
beat  th'  band." 

Drew  was  unruffled. 

"  The  street  needs  a  line,"  he  remarked,  strik 
ing  through  the  station  to  the  street. 

34 


THE    MASTERY  35 

"But  —  but-     '  McQuade  sputtered. 

"  Cross-town  facilities,  as  you've  often  said,  are 
what  the  East  Side  wants  most." 

"  But,  man  alive,"  the  Irishman  laid  hold  of 
his  voice  with  a  roar,  "  don't  we  want  th' 
street  ?  " 

"Some  of  it." 

"  Then  injunction  th'  devils  !  Give  'em  back 
their  own  shot." 

"  That  sovereign  remedy  for  man  and  beast 
won't  go  here,  Larry,"  Drew  laughed.  "  They're 
well  within  their  rights.  They  might  have  put 
their  tracks  there  years  ago." 

McQuade  halted  to  slap  his  leg. 

"Then  that's  why  my  cousin  in  th'  bureau  of 
streets  never  tipped  me  off!  Here  I've  been 
wishin'  him  hell-fire  an'  brimstone  f'r  not  tellin' 
me  what  he  didn't  know  in  th'  Black  Cat  saloon 
last  night." 

"  Yes,  they  didn't  need  to  give  notice.  But 
cheer  up,"  he  consoled.  "  Don't  you  see  that 
this  spasm  of  energy  only  shows  their  fright  ? 
Those  two  hundred  Italians  are  our  best  argu 
ment.  As  for  that  street,  we'll  use  all  we  need  of 
it  in  any  event.  The  law  allows  rival  companies 
to  operate  over  one  another's  lines  for  short 
distances." 


36  THE    MASTERY 

"  Hurroo  !  "  McQuade  exploded,  his  face  clear 
ing.  "  Sure  it's  a  great  head-piece  you've  got. 
May  th'  saints  reward  th'  legislator  whose  big 
brain  hatched  that  jool  of  a  law  !  " 

"  You're  merely  thanking  the  incubator," 
Drew  commented  dryly.  "  Thank  some  rail 
road  attorney  with  an  axe  to  grind." 

Harris  left  them  to  take  a  look  at  the  seat  of 
war.  McQuade  accompanied  Drew  to  the  club 
house  where  the  lawyer  made  his  home,  and 
sat  with  him  at  breakfast  while  he  reported 
upon  his  own  branch  of  the  work  which  had 
to  do  with  certain  uncharted  shoals  and  reefs  in 
the  board  of  aldermen.  He  and  Drew  were  old- 
time  allies.  People  were  accustomed  to  trace  the 
beginnings  of  the  latter's  success  to  a  volunteer 
fire  company  of  the  sort  which  roughly  define 
the  social  cleavage  in  rural  towns.  Two  Rivers 
had  rapidly  outgrown  this  phase,  but  the  organi 
zation  captained  by  Drew  became  the  nucleus  of 
an  amazingly  loyal  political  following  which  ex 
panded  with  the  city.  McQuade  had  belonged 
to  the  fire  company  in  the  simpler  days  and  had 
cleaved  stanchly  to  Drew's  leadership  since.  He 
was  himself  a  leader  of  no  mean  powers,  and  con 
trolled  absolutely  the  city's  most  populous  ward. 
Various  persons  of  superior  culture  wrote  him 


THE    MASTERY  37 

down  for  an  illiterate  heeler  ;  his  ward  deemed 
him  a  statesman  for  whom  no  office  was  too  good. 

As  the  men  left  the  club-house  a  handful  of 
reporters  waylaid  Drew  for  his  opinion  of  his 
antagonist's  sudden  feint.  He  greeted  them  each 
by  name,  detailed  the  law  which  he  had  merely 
outlined  to  McQuade,  and  improved  the  chance 
to  smite  the  foe. 

McQuade  clapped  his  thigh  delightedly  as 
Drew  ceased  to  speak. 

"  Put  that  in  your  pipe  an'  smoke  it,  boys,"  he 
charged  the  reporters  generally.  Then,  singling 
out  one  man,  he  added,  "An'  you  there,  my 
fine  buck,  what  hires  out  your  brains  t'  that  rag 
of  a  Mail,  take  a  good  long  whiff." 

Drew  locked  his  arm  into  his  friend's  and 
essayed  to  end  the  interview,  but  the  mercurial 
McQuade  veered  from  good  humor  to  wrath  as 
he  thought  upon  Redfern's  perfidy,  and  lingered 
halfway  down  the  steps  for  a  final  shaft. 

"Th'  Mail!"  he  jeered.  "  'Tis  th'  Female 
you'd  best  be  callin'  it,  f 'r  an  old  woman  it  is  — 
a  slanderin',  backbitin'  old  woman.  A  gang,  it 
calls  us.  Well,  it's  a  hag  I  call  your  Female." 

He  had  the  lung  capacity  of  an  auctioneer,  and 
all  heard  who  would.  A  passer-by  left  the  side 
walk  and  strode  up  the  steps. 


38  THE    MASTERY 

"  If  you've  anything  to  say  about  the  Mail, 
Lawrence  McQuade,"  he  cut  in,  "say  it  to  me 
and  not  to  my  reporters." 

Drew  turned  leisurely  upon  the  newcomer. 
He  and  Redfern  had  not  met  since  their  talk  to 
which  the  editor  had  proved  faithless.  A  man 
of  commanding  physique,  with  handsome  high- 
colored  features,  and  a  blond  beard  warming  into 
auburn,  Redfern  might  have  posed  for  the  typi 
cal  Teuton  who  feared,  served,  and  mastered 
Rome.  Physically,  no  less  than  by  tempera 
ment,  he  bore  out  Drew's  simile  of  the  fire 
brand.  He  too  had  his  definite  place  in  party 
councils,  and  had  once  or  twice  in  dubious  years 
declined  a  sacrificial  eminence  on  the  state  ticket. 
He  had  served  creditably  in  Congress  and  was 
commonly  thought  to  covet  the  governorship. 
A  fluent,  showy  stump-speaker,  he  was  known  to 
the  voters  of  many  communities  which  merely 
heard  Drew's  name,  but  his  influence  was  a  negli 
gible  quantity  in  comparison.  Locally  the  two 
men  might  be  said  to  share  the  bailiwick  of 
Lafayette  County  between  them,  though  neither 
dreamed  of  setting  up  formal  metes  and  bounds. 

"  Speak  out,"  bade  Redfern,  imperiously. 

With  disgust  Drew  saw  the  reporters  crowd 
round  at  a  hint  of  a  scene.  Not  so  McQuade. 


THE    MASTERY  39 

He  had  as  pretty  a  taste  in  quarrels  as  Sir  Lucius 
O'Trigger,  and  rejoiced  hugely  in  his  present 
opportunity. 

"  Glad  t'  see  you  I  am,  Mister  James  Y.  Red- 
fern,"  he  carolled,  stressing  the  first  syllable  of 
the  surname  offensively.  "  A  warmin'  sight  you 
are  of  a  cool  mornin'." 

"  Cut  the  personalities,  Larry,"  admonished 
Drew,  in  a  low  voice  as  Redfern's  skin  flamed. 
"  We  have  no  quarrel  with  Mr.  Redfern.  The 
policy  of  his  paper  is  his  own  concern." 

"  Personal,  is  it  ? "  roared  the  Irishman. 
"  There's  just  one  way  of  tellin'  a  lobster  he's  a 
lobster  I  know,  an'  that's  t'  spit  it  out.  An'  if 
his  hearin's  not  good,  I'll  spell  it  f'r  him:  1-o-b 
lob,  s-t-u-r  ster,  lobster  !  " 

"  Your  orthography  is  on  a  par  with  your 
manners,"  observed  Redfern,  majestically,  as  the 
smile  went  round. 

Drew  now  thought  to  turn  the  whole  repug 
nant  scene  off  v/ith  a  laugh,  but  McQuade's 
momentum  was  too  great  for  such  shunting. 

"  Th'  meanin'  of  your  big  word  is  beyond  my 
poor  understandin',"  he  retorted,  "but  t'  th'  plain 
yet  elegant  English  of  lobster,  I'm  thinkin'  you'll 
tumble.  An'  f'r  why  shouldn't  I  say  it  ?  A 
gang,  he  calls  us,  with  windy  talk  about  depressin' 


40  THE    MASTERY 

th'  old  company's  stock,  an'  raidin'  th'  munici 
pal  threasury.  He  was  ready  enough  t'  strike 
hands  with  th'  gang  a  few  weeks  ago,  was  Mister 
James  Y.  Redfern,  whose  word  is  as  good  as  his 
bond  I  don't  think." 

Redfern  mottled  sickishly  and  Drew  inter 
posed. 

"  McQuade  voices  his  personal  views,"  he 
said.  "  Our  company  as  a  unit  bears  no  honest 
critic  ill-will." 

"Honest  critic  —  sure!"  agreed  McQuade, 
unctuously. 

Drew's  suavity  was  a  livelier  goad  than 
McQuade's  blunt  weapon.  For  an  instant 
Redfern  was  visibly  swayed  by  the  lust  for 
brute  violence.  Then  the  man's  will  triumphed 
and  he  swung  on  his  heel  with  a  contemptuous 
shrug. 

"  There's  a  higher  honesty  than  you  can  com 
prehend,"  he  said  loftily,  an  eye  askance  invit 
ing  accurate  quotation  by  the  press.  "  I  dare 
break  a  promise  which  is  better  broken  than 
kept.  The  Mail  is  the  tool  of  no  corporation. 
It  is  the  People's  paper.  It  will  combat  insidi 
ous  sapping  of  the  People's  rights  wherever  it 
sees  a  lurking  head  to  strike." 

The    thing    had    gone   dangerously  far   before 


THE    MASTERY  41 

such  an  audience,  and  Drew  denied  himself  sar 
castic  retort. 

"  I'm  due  elsewhere,  Larry,"  he  said  quietly. 
"  Going  my  way  ?  " 

Entering  his  law  offices  a  few  blocks  farther 
on,  he  induced  a  feverish  activity  among  a  staff 
of  clerks  who  a  moment  since  had  whiled  an 
elegant  leisure  in  discussing  the  merits  of  last 
night's  "show"  at  the  Imperial  Palace  of 
Pleasure. 

"  Billy,"  he  greeted  a  snub-nosed  office-boy 
who  was  hiding  a  dime  novel  behind  the  letter 
press,  "  call  up  the  company's  office  and  ask 
Mr.  Harris  to  step  over  here." 

The  youngster  obeyed  with  a  swiftness  which 
his  employer  alone  could  evoke.  The  "  boss  "  to 
his  thinking  was  the  brainiest  man  in  the  two 
hemispheres.  If  called  upon  to  name  a  second, 
he  would  have  chosen  Dick,  who  was  at  once  his 
pattern  and  despair.  He  was  grinning  broadly 
at  some  quip  of  his  hero  when  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  later  he  announced  his  coming  at  the  door 
of  Drew's  private  room. 

"  Well  you  are  leading  a  life,"  Dick  saluted 
his  uncle.  "  Beautiful  damsel  rescued  yesterday, 
fistic  triumph  to-day  !  To-morrow  —  but  imagi 
nation  halts  at  to-morrow." 


42  THE    MASTERY 

"  Sit  down,"  Drew  said  gravely. 

"  What's  at  the  bottom  of  this  yarn  about  a 
shindy  at  the  Valley  Club  ?  No  less  than  three 
men  stopped  me  to  unbosom  between  your  office 
and  mine.  One  fellow  said  that  McQuade  struck 
Redfern.  Another  had  it  that  James  the  Mag 
nificent  made  a  stately  pass  at  you  and  was  put  to 
sleep  by  my  beloved  relation's  retort  courteous 
upon  his  solar  plexus." 

"  McQuade  got  his  Irish  up,"  Drew  explained 
tersely,  slitting  the  envelopes  of  his  accumulated 
mail. 

"  As  the  excellent  Larry  sometimes  will." 

"  Redfern  treated  us  shabbily,  but  it  was  poor 
policy  to  tell  him  so  from  the  housetops. 
McQuade  simply  handed  him  the  cue  for  an 
extract  from  one  of  his  demagogic  editorials." 

"  No  sparring  then  ?  My  uncle's  pugilistic 
victory  pure  myth  ?  " 

"Your  uncle  will  have  his  fill  of  fighting.  I 
shall  harvest  McQuade's  indiscretions.  Redfern's 
vanity  has  been  flayed  raw,  and  I'm  the  one  he'll 
blame  for  it.  It  was  to  me  he  broke  his  word." 

"  Couldn't  plant  a  healthier  grudge  if  you 
loaned  him  money  probably,"  Dick  observed  with 
cheerful  cynicism.  "  Well,  what's  the  worst  he 
can  do  ? " 


THE    MASTERY  43 

"  The  worst  ?  "  Drew's  jaw  squared  grimly  as 
in  his  mind's  eye  he  reviewed  the  sinister  possi 
bilities.  "  But  we  won't  fret  ourselves  with  that," 
he  went  on  quickly.  "  Dick,  I  want  your  expert 
opinion  —  your  judgment  as  a  newspaper  man." 

Richard  Harris's  alert  young  face  recast  itself 
along  the  keen  lines  habitual  in  working  hours. 

"  Go  ahead." 

"  About  six  weeks  ago  didn't  you  say  you 
thought  that  the  Messenger  could  be  picked  up  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  What  is  your  notion  of  the  purchase  price  ?  " 

"  Ninety  thousand,  spot  cash,  was  the  figure  at 
which  the  city  editor  told  me  he  thought  the  old 
man  would  quickstep  out  of  the  counting  room. 
In  my  judgment,  though,  he  could  be  dragged  to 
the  door  for  eighty-five." 

"  Is  it  worth  it  ?  " 

"  Decidedly.  Even  at  ninety  I  call  it  a  bar 
gain.  All  the  plant  needs  is  a  better  news  service 
and  a  dose  of  progress.  Think  you'll  buy  ? " 

"Yes;   I  think  I'll  buy." 

Dick's  eyes  widened  as  he  grasped  the  signifi 
cance  of  this  move. 

"  You're  playing  the  game  to  the  limit,  aren't 

5   » 

you  r 

"  To  the  limit,"  Drew  assented. 


44  THE    MASTERY 

He  put  a  series  of  searching  questions  about 
the  newspaper's  condition,  told  Harris  without 
ceremony  that  he  was  through  with  him,  thinned 
out  his  callers  and  his  letters  at  the  same  time, 
made  a  luncheon  engagement  with  the  Messenger's 
controlling  stockholder,  and  by  the  time  coffee 
and  cigars  were  served,  had  informally  closed  the 
transaction.  Redfern's  enmity  had  alarmed  him 
more  than  he  let  Harris  see.  The  editor's  ardent 
devotion  to  the  Plain  People  notwithstanding,  it 
was  the  aggressively  well-to-do  section  of  the  city 
which  swelled  the  circulation  of  his  unquestion 
ably  able  paper,  and  as  this  fashionable  quarter 
was  the  seat  of  the  serious  opposition  to  the  new 
street  railway,  the  capture  of  virtually  the  MaiFs 
one  rival  in  its  especial  field  seemed  to  Drew  a 
move  of  real  strategic  value.  For  the  present  he 
meant  to  keep  the  fact  of  his  ownership  secret. 

The  power  of  Redfern's  hostility  made  itself 
felt  when  Drew's  franchise  reached  the  mayor, 
who  let  his  public  hearing  drag  to  tedious  length, 
and  was  in  general  so  pliant  under  the  buttonhol 
ing  of  the  old  monopoly's  agents  that  Drew's 
colleagues  took  fright.  Drew  himself  said  little 
beyond  expressing  his  confidence  in  "Jim,"  which 
happened  to  be  the  mayor's  unofficial  name.  His 
Honor's  last  day  for  consideration  fell  on  a 


THE    MASTERY  45 

Monday  in  late  October.  On  Sunday,  while  the 
church  bells  were  active,  he  sat  fidgeting  with 
the  ornaments  of  his  library  desk  under  the  calm 
scrutiny  of  Drew. 

"  I  know  what  bothers  you,  Jim,"  said  the 
caller.  "  You  want  to  drive  a  good  bargain  for 
the  city,  you  don't  want  to  cross  swords  with  Red- 
fern,  and,  finally,  you'd  rather  like  to  oblige  me." 

The  mayor  shifted  his  position  and  coughed. 

"  I'd  like  to  give  satisfaction  all  around,"  he 
avowed. 

"  A  natural  frame  of  mind  for  a  man  aspiring 
to  a  second  term." 

His  Honor  went  red. 

"  Oh,  I  make  no  bones  of  that  with  you,"  he 
answered.  "  Of  course  I  want  another  term,  and 
it's  just  my  damned  luck  that  the  say  of  it  lies 
with  two  men  who  are  at  loggerheads.  You've 
been  the  making  of  me,  Drew,  and  I'm  properly 
grateful,  but  —  hang  it  all!  —  I'm  under  obliga 
tions  to  Redfern  too." 

"  You're  in  a  hole." 

"  It's  a  bottomless  pit !  " 

"  Not  quite.     We'll  throw  you  a  rope." 

His  Honor  caught  at  the  suggestion. 

"You'll  agree  to  the  concessions  urged  by  the 
Mail?  " 


46  THE    MASTERY 

Drew  gently  shook  his  head,  and  Melancholy 
again  resumed  her  seat  in  the  mayor's  character 
less  face. 

"  When  I  went  before  the  aldermanic  commit 
tee  on  streets,  and  accepted  every  condition  which 
the  city  imposed  upon  the  old  company,  whose 
franchise  is  ten  times  more  liberal,  you  told  the 
newspapers  you  were  satisfied." 

His  Honor  nodded  miserably. 

"  But  we  went  farther.  We  consented  to  a 
free  transfer  system,  and  you  were  more  than 
satisfied  with  the  city's  bargain.  Then  Redfern 
began  his  daily  preachment  for  your  benefit. 
He  knows  that  the  city  wants  our  road.  He 
sees  that  out-and-out  opposition  is  no  longer  his 
play.  So,  great  and  good  friend  of  the  people 
that  he  is,  he  lies  awake  nights  to  concoct  social 
istic  restrictions  which,  if  loaded  upon  us,  will 
kill  the  enterprise.  I  know  as  well  as  if  you 
told  me  with  your  two  lips,  that  he  has  come  to 
you  personally  and  demanded  that  you  refer  the 
franchise  back  to  the  common  council  with  his 
insane  amendments.  Well,  Jim,  you  may  do 
so." 

The  mayor's  weak  face  slid  into  the  disarray 
of  total  bewilderment. 

"But  you  —  you  just  said  —  " 


THE    MASTERY  47 

Drew  unfolded  a  paper. 

"  Here  is  our  company's  offer,  in  which  we 
agree  to  accept  the  amendments.  You'll  find 
them  all  here :  short-term  franchise,  privilege  of 
municipal  purchase  at  the  end,  three  tickets  for 
ten  cents  —  not  one  of  the  Mail's  ruinous  condi 
tions  is  missing.  The  aldermen  will  meet  in 
regular  session  to-morrow  afternoon,  and  you  can 
then  lay  the  matter  before  them.  They  will  rat 
ify  the  changes.  In  the  evening  the  councilmen 
will  have  an  opportunity  to  concur." 

"  The  council  has  adjourned  till  Wednesday." 

"  Exactly.  So  you'll  summon  them  to  meet 
in  special  session.  Your  secretary  can  reach  them 
all  to-day." 

"  But  if— if  they  should  —  " 

"  They  won't,"  smiled  Drew.  "  There'll  be  no 
quorum." 

His  Honor  smiled  too. 

"  I  see  !  "   he  ejaculated  admiringly. 

"  Therefore  you,  having  done  all  you  could  to 
obtain  the  best  possible  terms,  will  wisely  accept 
the  next  best  and  sign  the  original  grant." 

The  mayor  heaved  a  prodigious  sigh. 

"  You  have  lifted  an  incubus,"  he  said. 

Drew  had  not  finished. 

"  Should    there    be    any    talk    of   dark-lantern 


48  THE    MASTERY 

methods,  your  record  will  shine  bright  and  fair. 
As  for  ourselves,  we'll  attest  our  generosity  by 
letting  the  offer  stand  open  till  the  council's 
regular  meeting." 

In  this  electric  atmosphere  the  mayor  became 
acute. 

"Ha,"  he  cried  shrewdly.  "Again  no 
quorum  ?  " 

"  Oh,  bless  you,  yes.  They  won't  get  together 
on  Monday  night  as  a  protest  against  dictation 
on  your  part.  Every  councilman  thinks  he  knows 
more  than  a  mayor.  But  Wednesday  will  be 
another  story.  Yes,  there  will  be  a  quorum." 

"  But  no  endorsement." 

Drew  laughed  as  he  shrugged  himself  into  his 
overcoat. 

"  It  wouldn't  surprise  me  if  they  failed  to 
endorse,"  he  said  laconically. 


CHAPTER   V 

WHILE  mere  aldermen  or  mayors  were  his 
chessmen,  Drew  played  a  game  in  which  he  was 
a  past  master.  The  state  commissioners  were 
another  problem  altogether ;  and  as  he  did  daily 
battle  before  them  in  the  crowded,  wearing 
days  of  early  winter,  and  in  turn  studied  the 
taciturn  person  who  owed  his  rise  in  life  to  Red- 
fern,  then  the  man  whose  backbone  had  become 
a  fluid,  and  finally  the  shrewd-faced,  self-made 
Poole  against  whom  Katherine  had  amiably 
plotted,  his  thoughts  were  not  rose-colored  by 
over-confidence. 

Katherine  was  studiously  holding  her  peace. 
Drew  had  neither  seen  nor  had  word  from  her 
since  he  left  "  The  Beeches."  He  had  at  times 
tried  to  get  Dick  to  talk  about  her,  but  the  young 
fellow  had  become  unaccountably  silent  upon  the 
topic  which  once  loosed  his  eloquence.  The  girl 
was  often  in  Drew's  thoughts.  Even  amidst  the 
wordy  wrangles  before  the  commissioners  her  face 
would  recur  sharply  etched.  Sometimes  he  would 

R  49 


50  THE    iMASTERY 

see  her  with  the  background  of  a  mullioned  oriel ; 
now  at  the  tiller  of  a  flying  boat  whose  caprices 
she  shared ;  again  with  the  look  she  wore  as  she 
came  back  to  life  in  his  arms  ;  or  yet  again  it 
would  be  the  Katherine,  all  gratitude,  from  whom 
he  last  parted.  No  woman's  face  ever  haunted 
him  as  did  Dick's  sweetheart's. 

Just  before  the  holidays  he  came  unexpectedly 
upon  her  in  New  York.  She  was  standing  before 
an  art-dealer's  window  in  lower  Fifth  Avenue, 
and  to  his  masculine  eye  presented  a  wonderful 
harmony  of  warm  brown  tones  in  fabric  and  furs. 
There  were  enlivening  gleams  of  cherry  where  a 
fold  of  silken  lining  saw  the  light ;  cherry  also 
flashed  from  her  throat,  and  stole  cunningly  in 
and  out  of  the  distracting  gear  which  crowned 
costume  and  woman.  Her  femininity  was  to  the 
forefront  then,  and  the  man  noted  the  graceful 
gesture  by  which  she  raised  her  veil  with  his  first 
perception  of  its  elusive  charm. 

"  You  think  you  ought  to  like  it  if  Ruskin 
did,"  he  suggested,  "  but  candidly  you  don't." 

"You  !"  Both  hands  went  out  to  him  as  she 
swept  round.  "  Why,  only  this  minute  I  was 
thinking  about  you." 

"  And  I,"  said  Drew ;  "  I  was  thinking  of 
you." 


THE    MASTERY  51 

He  continued  the  same  train  of  thought  ac 
tively  as  they  walked  on  together.  The  girl  at 
"  The  Beeches  "  had  seemed  near  akin  to  nature ; 
this  was  another,  an  urban  Katherine,  not  less 
natural,  yet  different.  He  learned  now  that  she 
shared  the  clothes  passion  of  her  sex  ;  that  she 
was  in  the  thick  of  a  shopping  pilgrimage  with 
her  aunt ;  and  that  not  Washington  alone,  but 
also  Europe,  would  very  likely  lift  astonished  gates. 

"  That's  why  I  was  idling  before  those  paint 
ings  when  I  ought  to  be  meeting  Aunt  Sue 
at  the  dressmaker's,"  she  explained.  "  I'm 
brushing  up  for  the  Uffizi  and  the  Louvre. 
Yesterday  I  spent  all  my  spare  moments  in  the 
Metropolitan." 

"  Dick  hasn't  mentioned  your  going  abroad." 

"  Dick  doesn't  know.  In  fact  it's  still  very 
much  in  the  air.  You  see  there's  a  chance  that 
Uncle  Austin  will  be  assigned  to  the  European 
station  before  he  retires.  If  the  admiral  does 
get  the  plum,  —  which  seems  to  depend  on  poli 
tics  like  everything  else, —  I'm  to  go  over  fora 
time  with  Aunt  Sue." 

"  And  leave  the  senator  ?  "   Drew  doubted. 

"  I've  a  fine  plot  for  making  him  fetch  me 
back  when  Congress  adjourns,"  she  laughed. 
"  Do  you  think  he  could  stay  away  ? " 


52  THE    MASTERY 

Drew's  negative  was  emphatic. 

"  If  I  thought  so,  I  couldn't  go,"  Katherine 
added,  sobering  with  one  of  the  swift  changes  of 
color  which  lent  piquancy  to  all  she  said  or  did. 
"  He  has  only  me." 

The  man  looked  as  if  he  thought  "  only  me  " 
signified  infinite  riches.  He  decided  that  he 
liked  best  to  see  her  a  little  pensive.  An  instant 
later,  when  she  smiled  again,  he  decided  that  he 
liked  that  mood  very  well  too. 

"  Were  the  commissioners  just  sphinxes  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Impassive  as  a  row  of  bronze  josses.  Dick 
insisted  that  they  weren't  human.  It  was  a 
human  enough  little  drama  we  played  for  them, 
though." 

"  I  followed  it.  Father  takes  one  or  two  of 
your  local  papers.  The  Mail  cartooned  you  as 
an  octopus.  Now  you're  just  waiting  ?  " 

"  Just  waiting." 

They  had  reached  her  destination.  For  a 
moment  she  stood  without  speaking,  her  eyes 
upon  the  glittering  parade  of  the  avenue. 

"  I  saw  Harriet  Reeves  yesterday,"  she  said 
slowly.  "  Last  Sunday  Mr.  Poole  took  dinner 
at  her  house." 

"  Yes." 


THE    MASTERY  53 

His  response  shaved  neutrality  to  the  verge  of 
indifference.  He  had  not  cared  to  bring  this  up 
himself.  The  initiative  had  been  hers  at  "  The 
Beeches  ";  it  must  be  hers  still.  He  had  a  vague 
dread  lest  she  consider  his  service  in  the  storm  a 
mercenary  claim. 

Katherine's  color  underwent  a  quick  transition. 

"And  I'll  make  no  boasts,"  she  said,  with  a 
little  air  of  girlish  pique.  "  Good-by." 

The  holidays  came  and  yet  the  state  commis 
sion  gave  no  sign  of  rendering  its  decision. 
Drew  appeared  to  borrow  no  trouble,  but  his 
associates  daily  ran  the  gamut  of  anxiety  from 
tremulous  hope  to  blank  despair.  It  was  a 
period  of  incessant  and  fantastic  rumor,  so  keen 
had  the  struggle  whetted  the  edge  of  popular  in 
terest.  Young  Harris  tried  to  imitate  his  admired 
uncle's  calm,  but  the  stake  was  too  great.  The 
delay  irked  him  waspishly  and  his  optimism  was 
at  low  ebb.  He  was  continually  questioning 
Drew  about  the  available  methods  of  appeal 
should  the  worst  befall,  and  he  spent  long  hours 
in  his  uncle's  office  library  threading  the  mazes  of 
railroad  law.  He  had  employed  nearly  the  whole 
afternoon  of  the  last  day  of  the  year  in  this 
manner,  when  about  dusk  he  slammed  shut  a 
calf-bound  digest  at  which  he  was  staring  with- 


54  THE    MASTERY 

out  seeing  it,  and  bolted  into  Drew's  private 
room. 

His  uncle  glanced  up  from  the  day's  grist  of 
correspondence  which  he  was  signing. 

"Three  more,  and  I'll  be  with  you,"  he  said. 

Dick  watched  him  take  his  methodical  way 
through  the  last  type-written  sheet,  and  as  the 
office-boy  carried  the  pile  away  to  the  copying- 
press,  he  bestrode  a  chair  which  he  rode  in  the 
same  movement  to  Drew's  elbow. 

"  State  secrets,  boy  ?  " 

Dick  rammed  his  hands  deep  in  his  trousers 
pockets  and  frowned. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  said,  "  I'm  no  longer 
sanguine  of  our  getting  a  favorable  decision  ?  " 

"  So  ? " 

"  Moreover,  Philip,  I  think  you  are  not." 

Drew  swung  round  in  his  chair  to  look  at  him. 
He  took  an  almost  psychological  interest  in  his 
clever  nephew's  mental  processes. 

"Why,  Dick?" 

"  Oh,  it's  mostly  intuition,  womanish  as  it 
may  seem.  But  all  my  reasons  aren't  as  flimsy. 
It  convinced  me  that  the  commissioners  were  of 
two  minds  when  they  raised  the  question  whether 
they  could  approve  part  of  a  proposed  system  ; 
and  since  it  has  been  made  plain  that  it  must  be 


THE    MASTERY  55 

all  or  nothing,  I've  doubted  if  you  were  really  as 
hopeful  as  you  seem.  Then  there  are  political 
wheels  within  wheels  of  which  I  know  little  and 
you  know  a  great  deal.  I  have  a  notion  that 
Wentworth's  practical  influence  in  the  Trium 
virate  is  less  than  is  popularly  supposed." 

"  You  are  quite  right  about  Wentworth.  He 
holds  his  place  because  of  the  splendid  figure  he 
cuts  in  Washington.  He  is  really  out  of  touch 
with  the  men  of  his  party  at  home.  His  daughter 
probably  knows  the  state  better  than  he." 

"  What  an  impression  Katherine  made  on  you  !  " 

"  Yes,"  Drew  answered  simply. 

Dick  harked  back  to  his  fears. 

"  I  dare  say  you  didn't  put  all  your  eggs  in 
the  Wentworth  basket  ? "  he  half  queried  with  a 
sudden  note  of  anxiety. 

"  I  never  put  them  all  in  anybody's  basket." 

"  And  you  have  in  general  as  much  influence 
with  the  Triumvirate  as  Redfern  ?  " 

Drew  shrugged. 

"  The  Triumvirate  carries  little  weight  with 
the  railroad  commission  as  it  stands  just  now." 

The  young  fellow  bounced  up,  overturning  his 
chair. 

"  I  know  right  well  you  look  for  a  turn-down," 
he  cried.  "  Why  don't  you  admit  it  ?  " 


56  THE   MASTERY 

"  I  do  admit  it,  freely,  to  you." 

"There  !  "  sighed  Dick,  happily.  "  Now  we'll 
have  a  *  meeting  of  the  minds,'  as  you  lawyers 
say.  I  have  grubbed  railroad  law  all  the  after 
noon,  and  not  ten  minutes  ago  I  hit  upon  a 
scheme  by  which  we  can  drive  a  '  coach-and-six ' 
through  an  adverse  decision  and  through  James 
Y.  Redfern  too." 

"  Sit  down,"  Drew  invited,  his  eye  lighting. 
"Sit  down." 

"It's  as  simple  as  sinning  —  when  you  see  it; 
merely  a  question  of  putting  isolated  facts  in 
harmonious  sequence,  the  marrying  of  a  law  to 
the  blushing  bride  of  a  condition  it  was  born  for, 
the  —  " 

"  Prune  the  flowers  of  rhetoric,"  counselled 
Drew,  glancing  at  his  watch.  "  You  can  out-Irish 
McQuade  when  the  fit  is  on." 

"  Fact  number  one,"  said  Harris,  becoming 
concise.  "  An  existing  street  railway  requires 
merely  local  consent  to  extend  its  tracks.  Is  my 
law  sound  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Fact  number  two :  just  such  a  railway  strag- 
Igles  down  the  valley  to  the  city  line.  The  Pea 
nut,  as  the  farmers  call  it,  has  never  declared 
a  dividend  worth  mentioning ;  its  tracks  are  two 


THE    MASTERY  57 

feet  under  snow  this  very  day ;  for  six  years  and 
upward  it  has  lain  there  simply  begging  to  be 
bought.  Now  for  what  reason  under  the  canopy 
shouldn't  we  absorb  the  Peanut  and  extend  its 
tracks  into  the  city  over  the  streets  we  now  hold 
under  grant  from  the  mayor  and  common  council  ? 
Possibly  we'd  require  a  fresh  franchise  —  you  will 
know  about  that ;  but  admitting  that,  the  fact 
remains  that  the  city  and  not  the  state  would 
have  the  say  of  it." 

"  But  how  about  increasing  your  little  road's 
capital  stock  ?  You  must  ask  the  commission's 
consent  to  that,  and  to  be  consistent  they'd 
refuse.  What  would  be  your  resource  then  ?  " 

"  Bonds,"  returned  Dick,  promptly.  "  I'd  build 
the  road  on  bonds.  You  could  float  them  if  any 
man." 

Drew  leaned  over  and  affectionately  patted  the 
young  man's  arm. 

"I'm  proud  of  you,"  he  said.  "You  would 
have  made  me  a  tiptop  law  partner  if  you  hadn't 
gone  in  for  journalism." 

Harris  glowed  under  the  wine  of  Drew's  rare 
praise. 

"  But  the  Peanut !  "  he  persisted.  "  Why  not 
grab  it  at  once  ?  The  old  company  may  fore 
stall  us  any  minute." 


58  THE    MASTERY 

"  No  ;  they'll  not  forestall  us.  There's  a  little 
obstacle." 

"  Obstacle  !  "     Dick's  face  fell. 

"  Well,  you  see,  we've  already  bought  the 
Peanut  ourselves." 

Harris  reddened  and  then  laughed. 

"  You  might  have  told  me,"  he  reproached. 

"And  have  prevented  you  from  thinking  it 
out  for  yourself!  That  would  have  been  no 
kindness.  We  only  reached  a  definite  arrange 
ment  with  the  stockholders  to-day.  The  news 
papers  will  trump  it  forth  in  the  morning. 
Besides,  you  never  asked  me." 

"  You  prefer  to  show  people  the  finished  prod 
uct,  I've  noticed." 

Dick's  flash  of  insight  tickled  his  uncle. 

"Yes,"  he  agreed,  "that's  my  weakness.  I've 
always  admired  Tennyson's  decent  reticence  about 
the  chips  of  the  workshop." 

The  city  was  agog  over  New  Year's  at  Drew's 
coup  which  he  took  pains  to  represent  in  the  light 
of  an  expansion  of  his  railway's  aims.  The  enemy 
promptly  denounced  it  as  an  attempt  to  .sneak 
in  by  the  back  door,  and  immediately  upon  the 
meeting  of  the  Legislature,  Drew  was  confronted 
by  a  bill  extending  the  powers  of  the  railroad 
commission  to  thwart  just  such  an  expedient. 


THE    MASTERY  59 

The  same  day  saw  the  old  company's  stock  soar 
eleven  points,  and  stories  of  impending  defeat 
were  given  serious  credence  by  the  press.  The 
morrow  wore  an  aspect  yet  more  troubled,  rumor 
following  rumor  till  the  night  editions  set  forth 
the  text  of  the  long-withheld  decision  which 
stamped  the  blackest  forebodings  with  the  seal 
of  truth.  The  application  was  denied  by  a  vote 
of  two  to  one,  the  dissenting  commissioner  filing 
a  vigorous  protest.  The  name  of  this  lone  cham 
pion  served  to  paint  a  vivid  little  picture  in  Drew's 
mind's  eye,  —  a  picture  of  an  eager  girl  throned 
in  a  window-seat ;  and  while  his  co-workers  filled 
his  private  office  with  their  lamentations,  he  found 
time  to  indite  a  telegram  whose  blithe  note,  if 
known,  would  have  aroused  grave  question  of  his 
sanity. 

All  the  evening  long  till  their  papers  went  to 
press,  the  reporters  on  the  morning  dailies  tore 
the  round  of  Drew's  haunts  in  vain  quest  of  inter 
views.  It  was  said  that  he  had  called  his  directors 
together  in  special  meeting  at  his  law  office,  but 
darkness  shrouded  the  building.  Another  story 
had  it  that  he  was  with  the  railway's  president, 
but  when  the  banker,  who  served  as  figurehead, 

'  D  ' 

had  been  trailed  to  the  theatre  and  besieged  be- 

o 

tween   the  acts,  he  disclaimed  all  knowledge  of 


60  THE    MASTERY 

Drew's  whereabouts.  McQuade  apparently  took 
his  chief's  disappearance  as  keenly  to  heart  as 
the  reporters  themselves ;  the  ignorance  of  the 
attendants  at  the  Valley  Club  was  abysmal ; 
while  Harris,  discovered  cue  in  hand  under  the 
same  roof,  had  ears  for  no  topic  save  bottle 
pool.  Yet  the  selfsame  Harris  later  took  his  way 
to  an  upper  floor  of  the  club-house  and  tapped  at 
his  uncle's  door  with  every  mark  of  assurance 
that  he  would  be  bidden  to  enter  as  he  promptly 
was. 

Drew  was  in  house-jacket  and  slippers,  his 
drop-light  a  dim  green  moon  swimming  through 
clouds  of  tobacco  smoke. 

"  I  know  you  hate  to  have  business  wor 
ries  lugged  up  here,"  Dick  apologized,  "  but  this 
knockout  of  ours  is  no  ordinary  worry." 

Drew  pushed  forward  the  cigars,  and  bade  his 
caller  forage  freely  among  the  litter  of  magazines 
and  papers  heaped  around  the  light.  Dick  rum 
maged  aimlessly  awhile ;  then,  tiring,  began  an 
equally  purposeless  prowl  among  the  high  book 
shelves  which  were  the  simple  chamber's  one 
embellishment.  It  was  the  unacademic  collec 
tion  of  a  man  who  bought  books  without  much 
regard  for  literary  fetiches,  yet  a  library  of  remark 
able  range  notwithstanding.  The  nephew  won- 


THE    MASTERY  61 

dered,  as  he  had  often  wondered,  that  one  whose 
education  in  the  word's  narrow  sense  had  ended 
with  a  state  normal  school  should  possess  this 
many-sidedness. 

"  How  do  you  do  it  ?  "  he  queried  idly,  sweep 
ing  the  room  with  a  gesture.  "  I  plume  myself 
if  I  keep  abreast  of  the  news." 

"  What  should  I  do  without  it  ?  That's  the 
harder  question.  Here  you  see  home,  wife, 
child." 

"  Quiet  family." 

"  Yes,"  Drew  assented  a  little  pensively ; 
"  dream-children  are  well  behaved." 

Harris  was  too  full  of  youth  and  the  moment's 
worry  to  reflect  that  his  uncle  had  been  unwont- 
edly  open. 

"  I'm  blue,  Philip,  indigo  blue,"  he  sighed. 
cc  But  don't  think  it's  mainly  because  this  setback 
has  happened  to  the  only  railroad  I  ever  helped 
promote,  though  I'll  admit  that's  been  a  feather 
in  my  cap.  I'm  more  cut  up  because  such  a 
reverse  has  come  to  you.  It  makes  my  world 
seem  out  of  joint.  All  my  life  I've  believed  it 
impossible  for  you  to  fail." 

Drew  was  moved. 

"  Don't  let  go  of  that  belief,  boy,"  he  entreated. 
"  Don't,  for  my  sake.  Half  the  power  of  the 


62  THE    MASTERY 

human  dynamo  springs  from  that  source  —  some 
one  person's  belief  in  you." 

"  I  never  wavered  till  that  bill  was  slipped  into 
the  Legislature.  I  would  have  staked  my  bal 
ance  at  the  bank  that  you  would  win  in  the  end. 
I  know  that  you  can  handle  aldermen,  but  a  legis 
lature  is  a  different  team  of  horses." 

Drew  glanced  at  his  watch,  rose  at  once,  and, 
entering  his  bedroom,  changed  to  outdoor  gar 
ments. 

"  Travelling  to-night  ?  "  Dick  questioned,  glanc 
ing  at  his  bag. 

"  Yes." 

Harris  watched  the  dawn  of  Drew's  slow  smile. 

"  Philip  !  there's  a  ray  of  hope  ?  " 

"  Well,"  Drew  said  quietly,  "  I  can  at  least  run 
down  and  see  the  driver  of  that  other  team." 


CHAPTER   VI 

DREW  bent  his  steps  in  the  direction  of  the 
building  which  lifts  its  gables  above  all  other 
Albany  roofs.  A  little  short  of  the  capitol  he 
diverged  under  the  snow-sheathed  elms  to  a  quiet 
street  of  old-fashioned  dwellings,  before  one 
of  which  he  halted  and  lifted  a  knocker  of 
quaint  design.  The  householder's  doorplate  read 
"  Henry  Spedding  "  in  small  script. 

The  maid  who  took  Drew's  card  led  him 
straightway  into  a  sunny  breakfast  room  where 
an  elderly  man  with  beautiful  white  hair  and  strik 
ing  features  sat  over  his  newspaper  and  coffee. 

"  So  here  you  are  ?  "  he  called.  "  I  waited 
breakfast  half  an  hour  and  then  fell  to  without 
you." 

"  I  hoped  you  would  when  I  found  the  train 
was  late.  A  cup  of  coffee  will  suffice." 

Spedding  ignored  his  suggestion. 

"  Fetch  everything  which  hasn't  congealed," 
he  told  the  servant.  To  Drew,  as  soon  as  they 
had  the  room  to  themselves,  he  said  :  "  You  have 

63 


64  THE    MASTERY 

put  up  a  fight  which  warms  the  cockles  of  my 
heart.  Why  the  devil  don't  you  pay  more 
attention  to  politics  ?  " 

"  I've  found  corporation  law  fairly  exciting." 

"  Wasted  talent,  wasted  talent !  Unless  you 
need  the  money,  which  I  doubt  ?  " 

"  I  shan't  lack  money  if  my  railway  goes 
through." 

"  And  later  ?  " 

"  Just  now  I'm  all  in  the  present.  The  rail 
road  commission  has  cut  out  work  for  me  with  a 
liberal  hand." 

"  The  adverse  decision  ?  Yes  ;  that's  awkward. 
The  present  board  is  —  er  —  well,  a  little  beyond 
the  radius  of  my  sphere  of  influence.  I  arrived 
home  from  Washington  last  night  not  ten  min 
utes  ahead  of  your  telegram,  but  I've  had  time 
to  run  through  their  opinion.  I  should  diagnose 
it  as  a  case  of  fuddled  conscience.  Some  queer 
wrinkles  in  human  nature,  aren't  there  ?  I  don't 
doubt  the  commissioners  are  as  honest  as  day 
light,  but  in  this  case  they've  shown  about  as 
much  judicial  poise  as  a  common  cop.  Poole 
alone  knew  wheat  from  chaff  and  stuck  to  his 
convictions  in  a  way  that  surprises  me.  But 
the  courts  will  unravel  the  skein  if  you  find  it 
necessary  to  press  the  fight  that  far." 


THE    MASTERY  65 

"  So  I  think,  and  an  appeal  is  under  way. 
But  that  doesn't  prevent  my  taking  a  tender 
interest  in  Senate  Bill  No.  203  which  is  meant  to 
block  our  extension  of  the  Peanut.  That  pur 
chase  was  a  war  measure  and  we'll  not  press  it 
unless  we  must.  I  don't  think  it  will  be  neces 
sary.  It's  that  bill  which  brought  me  to  Albany, 
and  the  same  loadstone  seems  to  have  attracted 
Redfern  and  the  old  road's  attorney." 

"  They  drew  it,  of  course,"  Spedding  answered. 
"  But  here's  your  breakfast." 

Drew  could  have  foregone  food  at  this  pass,  but 
he  began  to  eat,  and  with  all  outward  patience 
awaited  the  withdrawal  of  the  servant  and  Sped- 
ding's  issuance  from  a  brown  study.  He  was  a 
frail  old  man  to  look  upon,  but  no  one  made  the 
mistake  of  supposing  him  senile.  He  had  an  eye 
like  a  live  coal.  When  he  spoke  it  was  not  of 
the  bill. 

"  Drew,"  he  charged,  "don't  let  this  affair  with 
Redfern  start  a  factional  row  in  Lafayette.  You 
made  the  county  safe  for  the  party.  Don't  spoil 
your  handiwork.  An  enmity  is  a  costly  hobby 
in  public  life.  Get  together  somehow  before  the 
next  campaign." 

"  I  have  no  objection,  in  a  political  sense.  Na 
ture  never  intended  us  for  David  and  Jonathan." 

F 


66  THE    MASTERY 

Old  Spedding  laughed. 

"  Observe  the  amenities  for  the  party's  sake," 
he  cautioned.  "We  need  you  both." 

"And  this  bill?" 

"  Need  not  worry  you.     It  will  be  short  lived." 

"  Thank  you." 

"It  can  be  most  mercifully  killed  in  committee 
perhaps.  All  shall  be  done  decently  and  in 
order." 

They  exchanged  smile  for  smile. 

"  How  about  a  popular  protest  ?  "  Drew  asked. 
"  You  see  it's  a  flagrant  violation  of  the  principle 
of  home  rule." 

"  Just  so.  Point  that  out  to  your  press.  Then 
you  might  arrange  a  spontaneous  mass-meeting 
of  your  leading  citizens  to  denounce  both  the 
decision  and  the  bill.  It  would  be  easy,  I  should 
judge,  to  get  the  proper  pitch  of  righteous  wrath." 

Drew's  mind  had  already  run  ahead  to  that, 
but  he  kept  it  to  himself. 

"  We'll  send  a  protesting  delegation  if  you 
think  best,"  he  suggested  as  they  rose  from 
table. 

"  By  all  means.  And  ring  in  a  clergyman  or 
two.  They  always  look  well  in  a  bunch  of  out 
raged  home  rulers.  Come  up  to  my  library 
while  I  show  you  a  book  bargain  I  picked  up  in 


THE    MASTERY  67 

Washington.  You'll  remember  that  little  shop 
on  Pennsylvania  Avenue  near  the  Capitol  ?  " 

When  Drew  went  away,  the  old  man  recalled 
him  from  the  sidewalk  to  admonish :  — 

"  Shake  hands  with  Redfern  before  the  pri 
maries,  mind  you.  Show  a  solid  front  to  the 
common  enemy." 

Drew  set  Spedding's  plan  of  action  instantly 
in  motion.  The  mass-meeting  discharged  its 
resentment  with  most  satisfactory  vehemence,  and 
such  a  protesting  delegation  went  down  to  Albany 
with  the  slogan  of  home  rule  as  had  not  issued 
from  an  up-state  city  in  years.  Drew  did  not 
accompany  his  crusaders.  His  daemon,  sixth 
sense,  what  you  will,  had  apprised  him  that 
he  might  expect  developments  near  home,  and 
presently  the  general  staff  of  his  law  office 
received  a  shock.  The  attorney  for  the  old 
company,  who,  according  to  the  newspapers,  was 
still  lobbying  in  Albany,  suddenly  darkened  the 
threshold  of  the  outer  office  and  was  promptly 
admitted  to  Drew's  presence. 

"  It  strikes  me  that  it's  about  time  we  got  to 
gether,"  said  the  newcomer. 

Drew  pushed  forward  a  cigar  box. 

11  Smoke  ?  "   he  inquired. 

And  the  caller  remarked  that  he  didn't  care  if 


68  THE    MASTERY 

he  did.  By  such  simple  preliminaries  was  ushered 
in  the  enemy's  capitulation. 

In  the  room  without  speculation  was  feverish. 
From  a  laugh  which  penetrated  the  panels  of 
Drew's  closed  door  the  bookkeeper  argued 
harmony  ;  and  harmony,  thought  the  head  stenog 
rapher,  who  began  sharpening  pencils  against  a 
speedy  summons,  meant  a  deal.  The  managing 
clerk  knit  his  brow  impressively  when  asked  his 
opinion  by  the  young  gentleman  who  kept  the 
register  of  cases,  but  in  reality  he  was  no  wiser 
than  the  office  boy.  When  the  door  did  open,  it 
merely  emitted  two  men  who  were  talking  of 
lunching  together  at  the  club. 

While  the  reporters  were  trailing  nimble  rumor, 
and  the  Mail  was  forging  a  thunderbolt  entitled 
"  Sell-Out  or  Combine?"  with  gloomy  proph 
ecies  of  the  crucifixion  of  the  public  at  the 
hands  of  these  enemies  turned  friends,  Drew  again 
slipped  quietly  out  of  town.  When  he  returned, 
the  great  prize  all  but  lay  in  his  hand. 

"  A  bill  which  straightens  everything  was  intro 
duced  this  morning,"  he  told  Dick.  "  I  trust  the 
governor  will  be  as  prompt  as  Spedding  assures 
me  the  Legislature  will  be." 

"  Isn't  the  governor  a  crony  of  Redfern's  ?  " 

"Yes,  but  friendship  won't  tempt  him  to  try 


THE    MASTERY  69 

a  fall  with  the  Legislature  while  his  own  pet 
measures  are  hanging  fire." 

"  Then  if  it's  come  to  that,  I  move  we  sacrifice 
a  bottle  and  a  bird." 

They  sat  late  over  it,  and  Drew  disclosed  a 
long-budding  plan  which  assured  success  had 
brought  to  flower. 

"  When  you  threw  up  your  New  York  work 
to  go  in  with  me,  Dick,"  he  said,  "  I  told  you  I'd 
make  it  worth  your  while." 

"  And  you  have.  What  with  my  stock,  and 
the  real  estate  tips  you've  given  me,  I  shall  clean 
up  a  tidy  sum." 

"  I  don't  mean  that.  I  refer  to  the  Messenger. 
It  occurred  to  me  a  long  while  ago  that  I'd  like 
to  control  a  newspaper  here,  but  I  didn't  look  to 
pick  one  up  just  as  I  did.  Now  that  I  can  take 
over  the  plant  openly,  I  mean  to  put  you  in 
charge." 

Dick  gripped  his  hand. 

"  Philip  !  "  he  cried,  "  you  don't  mean  it  ?  " 

Drew  maintained  a  smiling  silence  while  his 
nephew's  delight  effervesced.  When  the  first 
rhapsodies  had  spent  their  energy,  he  added 
gently  :  — 

"You  see,  boy,  I'd  like  to  put  you  on  a  foot 
ing  to  marry  Katherine.." 


70  THE    MASTERY 

Dick  blushed  like  a  debutante. 

"  You're  a  brick,  old  man,"  he  brought  forth 
*  *  o 

huskily,  "  but  —  but  —  " 

Drew  pretended  not  to  notice  his  brilliant 
color. 

"  I  want  you  to  be  able  to  offer  her  the  sort  of 
position  she  deserves,"  he  went  on.  "  Katherine 
will  make  no  ordinary  wife,  Dick.  She  has  all 
the  fresh  young  loveliness  and  charm  of  a  girl, 
with  the  brain  of  a  clever,  a  very  clever  woman. 
Nobody  ever  made  quite  the  impression  upon  me 
that  she  has,  which  is  saying  a  good  deal  for 
a  confirmed  bachelor.  I  like  her  tremendously. 
You're  a  lucky  dog  to  get  such  a  girl  to  care  for 
you." 

"  But  she  —  that  is,  I  —  I'm  afraid  she  doesn't," 
Harris  stammered,  fingering  the  stem  of  his  glass 
with  deep  embarrassment.  "In  fact  it's  all  off." 

"Off?" 

"  Our  —  our  understanding,  what  there  was 
of  it." 

"  Then  hustle  around  and  patch  it  up  again," 
Drew  counselled  briskly.  "  If  a  man  wants  a 
thing  and  hammers  long  enough,  he  generally  gets 
it  —  at  least  that's  my  experience.  Don't  lose  a 
minute  in  beginning,  and  don't  stop  hammering 
till  you  win." 


THE    MASTERY  71 

Dick  squirmed  miserably  under  this  application 
of  business  push  to  affairs  of  the  heart. 

"  She  has  sailed,"  he  temporized. 

"  But  you  can  write  or  cable.  What  do  you 
say,  for  a  starter,  to  cabling  her  that  we've  won 
our  fight  ?  She'll  get  it  as  soon  as  her  vessel 
touches  Queenstown." 

Harris  was  still  ill  at  ease. 

"  You  cable,  Philip,"  he  suggested  desperately. 
"  It  would  please  her  twice  as  much.  She 
admires  you." 


CHAPTER   VII 

IT  was  far  from  Drew's  thought  that  he  should 
presently  follow  his  cablegram.  Unforeseen  re 
sults  of  his  victory,  however,  were  continually 
cropping  out.  Thus,  he  received  and  declined  a 
high-salaried  office  in  the  employ  of  a  vast  trust 
whose  directorate,  alert  for  talent,  had  followed 
his  late  exploit.  The  money  did  not  tempt  him, 
and  of  responsibility  he  had,  just  now,  enough, 
but  the  recognition  was  sweet.  An  imaginative 
man,  it  was  a  fillip  to  his  fancy  to  know  that  he 
was  deemed  a  power  by  the  powerful,  a  definite 
factor  in  the  world  of  large  affairs. 

In  the  stress  of  the  fight  he  had  promised 
himself  a  vacation,  but  he  only  laid  hold  of  it  at 
the  last  because  it  came  in  the  guise  of  business. 
His  sortie  into  the  street-railway  world  had 
brought  him  close  to  men  of  like  interests  else 
where,  particularly  in  New  York,  and  this  associa 
tion  in  turn  led  him  yet  farther  afield,  since  these 
metropolitan  allies  were  planning  an  invasion  of 
one  of  the  provincial  cities  of  England.  Hence 
it  fell  out  that  one  spring  day,  at  a  scant  week's 

72 


THE    MASTERY  73 

notice,  he  and  two  keen-faced  New  Yorkers 
boarded  a  Liverpool  liner. 

The  main  object  of  the  journey  was  soon 
accomplished,  and  the  New  Yorkers  fared  away 
by  the  first  steamer  homeward  bound.  Drew 
lingered,  charmed  by  England  at  its  friendliest. 
In  London,  where  the  final  negotiations  were 
made,  he  had  met  a  group  of  gentlemen  with 
family  names  familiar  to  history,  whose  simplicity 
was  a  thing  after  his  own  heart ;  and  these  ac 
quaintances,  among  them,  put  him  in  the  way  of 
royalty  laying  a  cornerstone,  an  important  parlia 
mentary  debate,  and  many  little  courtesies  of  the 
clubs.  It  was  a  broadening  experience,  all  in  all, 
quickening  racial  ties  of  which  he  had  taken  little 
thought.  When  he  actually  ran  upon  a  youth 
in  the  Strand  whose  boyhood  had  been  passed 
in  Lafayette  County,  Puck's  girdle  of  the  earth 
seemed  a  commonplace  achievement. 

It  was  during  a  solitary  flight  over  the  Conti 
nent  that  he  felt  an  alien.  Things  somehow 
appealed  merely  to  his  head,  and  he  hungered 
with  a  craving  almost  physical  for  American  news. 
His  laborious  sifting  of  foreign  sheets  would  yield 
nothing  better  than  some  impossible  scrap  about 
a  man  jumping  Niagara  Falls,  while  he  pounced 
upon  the  Paris  edition  of  a  New  York  paper 


74  THE   MASTERY 

with  a  daily  zest  equalled  in  intensity  only  by  his 
daily  disappointment.  The  stale  files  offered 
here  and  there  by  his  bankers  were  his  sole  re 
source.  A  day  dawned  in  Holland,  however, 
when  the  European  press  atoned  for  many  short 
comings.  By  merest  chance  he  lit  upon  a  para 
graph  which  alluded  to  the  attentions  paid  Rear 
Admiral  Austin  in  European  waters,  with  the 
pregnant  statement  that  the  now  retiring  officer, 
accompanied  by  Mrs.  Austin  and  her  neice,  un 
named,  would  two  days  hence  sail  from  South 
ampton  for  the  United  States.  Its  effect  was 
electrical.  He  finished  his  luncheon  within  four 
minutes ;  he  packed  within  half  an  hour ;  he 
embarked  at  midnight  for  Harwich ;  he  sped 
with  the  morning  across  the  Essex  fens  ;  at  noon 
he  walked  away  from  the  steamship  company's 
London  office  with  his  passage  engaged,  and  set 
about  paying  his  parting  calls. 

On  the  morrow  he  scoured  the  Waterloo 
station  for  a  glimpse  of  the  admiral's  party,  till  he 
was  struck  with  the  belated  thought  that  inas 
much  as  Austin's  flagship  lay  at  Southampton, 
he  and  his  were  doubtless  spending  the  last  hours 
hard  by.  Why  had  he  wasted  the  night  in 
London  !  He  was  off  at  last.  Homing  now  ! 
He  felt  a  vigorous  lift  in  his  patriotism  and 


THE    MASTERY  75 

scanned  the  faces  of  his  fellow-Americans  in  the 
compartment  for  some  sign  that  they  felt  as  he 
felt.  If  they  did,  they  were  skilful  dissemblers. 
Their  talk  was  all  of  the  customs  ordeal  already 
looming  big  at  the  voyage's  end. 

The  liner  had  swung  free  of  her  berth  and  was 
gliding  down  the  roadstead  before  Drew  spied 
Katherine.  She  was  in  the  midst  of  a  little  group 
beside  the  captain  upon  the  bridge,  among  whom 
an  oldish  man  with  an  iron-gray  mustache  and 
imperial  was  conspicuous.  A  huzzah,  thinned  by 
distance,  drifted  across  the  water,  and  the  signifi 
cance  of  the  scene  flashed  upon  him  :  the  admiral 
was  bidding  his  flagship  farewell.  Drew  caught 
the  gleam  of  the  white  battleship  now,  its  decks 
and  rigging  black  with  the  cheering  crew.  The 
liner's  passengers  began  answering  volley  for 
volley.  Now  abreast,  there  came  the  rhythmic 
beat  of  music,  martial  music,  and  the  colors  of 
either  vessel  dipped.  Then  the  pace  quickened, 
the  barrier  widened,  the  man-of-war  dropped 
swiftly  astern,  and  the  jackies'  last  cheer  became  a 
ragged  echo  muffled  by  the  pulse  of  the  liner's 

DO  1  L 

screw. 

"  The  real  thing,  eh  ?  " 

Drew  turned  upon  one  of  his  fellow-passengers 
of  the  train. 


76  THE    MASTERY 

"  Why  didn't  you  cheer  ?  "  beamed  the  man. 
"  Patriotic  frog  in  the  throat  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Ditto  here.  It  jumped  in  when  I  caught 
sight  of  Old  Glory  back  there.  Ripping  fine 
flag  when  you  see  it  away  from  home.  Makes 
you  forget  all  about  the  lynchings  in  the  Black 
Belt,  and  the  boodling  everywhere  else  from 
Maine  to  Texas.  Boss  thing  to  have  a  country, 
after  all.  Join  me  in  a  cocktail  ?  " 

Drew  evaded  his  hospitality  and  presently  his 
company,  but  he  took  no  step  toward  Katherine. 
The  moment  had  had  a  message  for  him  alone. 
He  faced  one  of  life's  verities.  He  knew  now 
that  a  lure  mightier  than  business  had  drawn 
him  abroad ;  that  he  had  searched  museums,  pal 
aces,  cathedrals,  for  a  masterpiece  he  had  not 
found ;  that  his  patriotism  even  was  mixed  with 
alloy;  that  under  love  of  country  masqueraded  a 
compelling  passion  for  his  countrywoman  there 
aloft — Dick's  sweetheart!  The  enormity  of  his 
conduct  could  at  that  moment  have  scarcely 
seemed  to  him  greater  had  she  been  Dick's 
wife. 

In  the  end  it  was  the  girl  herself  who  sought 
the  meeting. 

"  Aren't  you  a  wee  bit  ashamed  of  yourself?  " 


THE    MASTERY  77 

came  a  low  voice  beside  him  at  the  rail  toward 
sundown. 

Drew  spun  round  and  caught  the  outstretched 
hands. 

"  I  saw  you  leave  the  dining  room  and  spoiled 
one  of  uncle's  best  stories  to  run  after  you." 

"  You  aren't  spoiled  at  any  rate,"  said  the  man, 
and,  still  holding  her  hands,  marked  a  dozen 
witching  hints  of  womanliness  which  the  months 
had  added. 

She  cut  these  cataloguings  short  and  released 
herself  with  a  frown  which  was  two  parts  smile. 

"  You  don't  deserve  a  welcome.  You  were 
days  and  days  in  the  same  London  with  me, 
not  long  ago,  and  never  even  left  a  card.  Oh, 

one    of   your    railroading     Englishmen    exposed 

» 
you. 

"  You  in  London  —  last  month  !  " 

"  Don't  try  to  humbug." 

"But  I  didn't  know  —  " 

"  You're  making  it  worse.  You'll  say  next  you 
didn't  know  that  I  was  presented." 

"  Presented  ?  " 

"  The  Queen  —  court  train  —  low  neck  —  kiss 
hand  —  back  out!  There's  the  whole  story  in 
words  of  one  syllable." 

"  I  saw  few  English  papers." 


78  THE    MASTERY 

"  I'll  forgive  you  that.  It's  to-day  that's  un 
pardonable.  To  spend  six  livelong  hours  aboard 
the  same  ship  and  never  so  much  as  shake  hands  ! 
Perhaps  you'll  say  again  you  didn't  know.  And 
I  used  to  be  simple  enough  to  believe  you  knew 
everything.  Haven't  you  even  looked  at  the 
passenger  list  ? " 

"  It's  because  your  name  is  there  that  I'm  here 
at  all." 

"  For  me  !  "  A  telltale  wave  of  pink  confessed 
her  pleasure.  "  Oh,"  she  added  demurely,  "  you 
repented  afterward." 

He  went  deadly  serious  under  coquetry. 

"  No,  no,"  he  protested.  "  It  was  no  time  for 
my  greetings  when  you  left  the  bridge." 

"  Poor  uncle,"  Katherine  said  gently. 

"And  then  you  vanished." 

"  Aunt  Sue  is  no  sailor,  as  you  may  remember. 
She  took  to  her  stateroom  before  we  passed  the 
Needles.  But  it's  father  I  want  you  to  tell  me 
about.  I've  missed  him  so!  If  I  had  dreamed 
of  the  extra  session,  I  never  should  have  left  him. 
Tell  me  absolutely  every  scrap." 

Drew  retailed  all  his  news  of  Wentworth  and 
the  senator's  world,  spinning  out  his  budget  with 
the  veriest  trifles  for  the  sake  of  her  changing 
moods  which  made  him  think  of  sunlight  chasing 


THE    MASTERY  79 

shadow  across  a  May-day  field.  The  coming  of 
her  uncle  checked  his  fluency  and  as  dusk  fell 
she  left  them. 

The  two  men  paced  the  deck  till  bedtime,  well 
pleased  with  one  another's  society.  To  Austin 
the  civilian  seemed  the  personification  of  common 
sense  in  his  assent  to  the  naval  notion  of  Amer 
ica's  proper  armament ;  to  Drew,  who  would  have 
commissioned  Noah's  Ark  had  Katherine's  uncle 
suggested  it,  the  sailor  was  the  jolliest  of  all  sea 
dogs. 

Before  he  turned  in,  Drew  told  himself  that  he 
must  be  very  prudent.  Neither  Dick  nor  his 
own  conscience  should  have  cause  for  reproach. 
He  repeated  this  injunction  frequently  in  the 
watches  of  a  somewhat  restless  night,  and  it  was 
his  familiar  when  he  woke.  It  bore  him  com 
pany  in  fact  until  he  came  upon  deck  to  find  that, 
early  as  it  was,  Katherine  had  outstripped  him. 
He  surprised  her  clinging  to  a  capstan  with  her 
gray  eyes  full  of  some  sea  mystery,  her  cheeks 
blowzed,  her  wraps  streaming  like  the  draperies 
of  a  winged  victory. 

"  Do  you  see  that  grumpy  sailor  polishing 
brass  ?  "  she  demanded.  "  He  has  all  but  boxed 
my  ears  for  coming  out.  *  It's  rough,'  says  I, 
very  affable.  '  Too  rough  for  women-folks,'  says 


8o  THE    MASTERY 

he,  just  like  Dick  Deadeye.  And  that's  the  end 
of  the  story." 

"  He  looks  like  a  pirate,"  Drew  declared, 
offering  an  arm.  "  Come,  have  your  walk  in 
spite  of  him." 

It  was  a  tipsy  performance  to  watch,  if  the 
misogynist  and  another  tar  lashing  fast  a  stack  of 

O'  O 

steamer  chairs  gave  their  trivial  movements  a 
glance,  and  their  talk  was  as  broken  as  their  steps. 
Syllables,  words,  whole  sentences  scurried  down 
the  wind,  but  with  eyes,  lips,  shifting  color,  and 
an  astonishing  dimple  for  interpreters,  Drew 
wasted  no  regrets  upon  lost  parts  of  speech. 
When  the  ship's  bugle  fluted  faintly  below,  they 
ran  a  race  to  breakfast  like  the  children  which  by 
some  kindly  sea-change  both  had  become. 

In  the  companionway  he  was  told  all  he  was 
ever  to  know  of  the  beguiling  of  Poole. 

"You  see,"  Katherine  explained  lucidly,  "I 
had  only  to  interest  Harriet  and  then  trust  to  her 
interesting  him.  It  was  very  simple." 

Her  reticence  struck  a  kindred  chord  in  him. 

"  Simple,"  he  laughed.  "  Yes  ;  as  simple  as 
Woman." 

During  the  next  day,  the  next  after,  the  next, 
and  yet  the  next,  the  prosaic  floating  hotel  pre 
sented  itself  to  Drew's  vision  as  a  sort  of  golden 


THE    MASTERY  81 

galleon.  Mrs.  Austin  still  kept  to  her  state 
room,  and  Katherine's  hours  upon  deck  were 
unhampered  by  even  the  mere  pretence  of  chap- 
eronage  which  does  duty  upon  the  high  seas. 
Many  men  of  many  sorts  profited  by  the  aunt's 
laches,  but  Drew  saw  himself  favored  before  all. 
They  met  at  all  hours,  tried  the  ship's  amuse 
ments  from  shuffleboard  to  betting  on  the  run, 
read  together,  talked  together,  were  eloquently 
silent  together.  An  infinite  number  of  Katherines, 
as  various  as  her  moods,  showed  themselves  to 
Drew,  and  were  all  and  singly  adjudged  delight 
ful.  Daily  he  reminded  himself  that  he  must  be 
prudent,  and  daily  he  persuaded  himself  that  he 
succeeded. 

Then  the  unexpected  befell.  It  began  with  a 
certain  preoccupation  on  the  captain's  part  at  the 
mid-day  meal.  This  particular  captain  was  not 
prone  to  self-communings  at  table.  Indeed,  he 
was  noted  among  the  globe-trotting  public  of  two 
hemispheres  for  his  social  faculty  and  lively  wit. 
At  present  he  refused  to  sparkle,  and  the  admiral, 
who  sat  at  his  right  hand,  bore  the  brunt  of  a 
conversation  which  a  vivacious  widow  from  St. 
Louis  maintained  at  concert  pitch.  Perhaps  two 
hours  later  a  steward  brought  a  note  to  the 
admiral,  who  was  then  in  the  smoking-room  dis- 


82  THE    MASTERY 

coursing  of  tarpon  fishing  to  Drew.  Austin 
excused  himself  and  vanished  in  the  direction  of 
the  captain's  cabin.  It  was  a  lengthy  interval 
before  he  reappeared,  and  then  he  too  seemed 
preoccupied.  The  captain  remained  invisible. 

Throughout  the  afternoon  the  admiral  paid 
visits  of  varying  length  to  the  mysterious  regions 
of  the  ship  which  unprivileged  voyagers  do  not 
penetrate.  The  captain  did  not  present  himself 
at  the  evening  meal,  and  even  the  admiral  was 
distrait  under  the  widow's  blandishments.  Upon 
regaining  the  deck  he  at  once  resumed  his  little 
journeys. 

About  sundown  Austin  invited  Katherine  to 
take  a  turn  with  him,  and  when  this  brief  prom 
enade  terminated  with  the  girl's  disappearance 
below,  he  looked  about  for  Drew.  It  was  not, 
however,  until  they  gained  a  secluded  corner  aft 
between  one  of  the  ship's  life-boats  and  the  rail 
that  he  had  more  than  monosyllables  to  offer. 
Then :  - 

"  There's  mischief  going  on  down  there,"  he 
said  with  a  deckward  jerk  of  his  thumb.  "  The 
fact  is  they're  fighting  a  nasty  fire." 


CHAPTER    VIII 

THE  admiral  scanned  the  younger  man  closely 
as  he  made  his  announcement.  Drew's  cool 
"  Since  when  ?  "  seemed  to  meet  his  expectations. 

"  They  discovered  it  this  morning  between  the 
first  and  second  bulkheads,  and  at  first  tried 
steam  in  the  hope  of  saving  the  cargo.  Since 
noon  they  have  been  pumping  water  into  the 
compartment,  but  the  blaze  is  hard  to  reach. 
The  captain  told  me  what  was  up  shortly 
after  dinner.  Level-headed  man,  that  captain  ! 
Doesn't  need  anybody's  advice.  If  it  can  be 
handled,  he'll  do  it." 

"There's  a  chance  that  it  can't?  " 

Austin  nodded. 

"  In  my  judgment,  yes,"  he  said.  "  That's 
why  I  told  you.  If  it  comes  to  a  pinch,  we'll 
need  cool  heads  among  the  passengers  as  well  as 
in  the  crew.  There  are  sure  to  be  some  beasts 
aboard  we'll  have  to  knock  down  when  the  life 
boats  are  manned.  The  women  and  children 
must  have  first  chance." 

83 


84  THE    MASTERY 

"  You  told  Miss  Wentworth,  I  think  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  count  on  her  to  manage  Sue  in  case 
—  in  case  —  well,  you  understand." 

Drew's  glance  travelled  unflinchingly  along  the 
line  of  life-boats  upon  the  davits,  which  to  his 
landsman's  eye  seemed  so  grossly  inadequate. 

"  I  understand,"  he  said. 

"  It  occurred  to  me,  you  see,  that  Sue  might 
foolishly  take  it  into  her  head  to  hang  back  for 
me." 

The  stout-hearted  veteran  went  below  to  his 
wife  and  Drew  stood  grave-faced  with  his 
thoughts.  He  looked  again  at  the  boats  and 
the  life-rafts ;  then  into  the  teeming  steerage, 
here  visible ;  and  from  the  emigrants  to  the 
boundless  sea.  Granted  that  the  cockleshells 
safely  launched  would  hold  that  life-avid  throng, 
what  was  the  chance  out  there  !  He  turned  upon 
his  heel,  and,  making  his  way  to  the  smoking- 
room,  sat  down  at  a  little  table.  There  was 
drinking  and  jesting  all  around  him,  and  a  card 
game  was  in  progress  at  elbow.  In  a  far  corner 
a  man  was  discussing  politics  as  vehemently  as  if 
such  things  really  mattered.  An  hour  hence 
would  any  of  them  care  a  straw  for  the  next 
presidency  which  so  excited  them,  the  highballs 
they  drank  with  such  gusto,  the  miraculous  royal 


THE    MASTERY  85 

flush  which  had  just  electrified  that  poker  game  ? 
Drawing  some  sheets  of  letter  paper  toward  him, 
Drew  began  to  write. 

When  he  returned  to  the  open  it  was  night. 
Austin  was  pacing  the  deck.  Katherine  stood  at 
the  rail  with  her  eyes  upon  the  long  opaque  swell 
of  the  sea,  and  he  saw  that  she  was  very  pale. 
She  turned  as  he  came  to  her,  and  they  exchanged 
an  understanding  glance.  For  a  time  neither 
spoke.  Speech  seemed  a  futile  thing.  What 
could  words  avail  ?  What  else  could  they  do 
but  wait  ? 

But  silent  waiting  grew  intolerable  to  Katherine. 

"  The  admiral  says  that  such  a  thing  may  go 
on  for  days  and  yet  the  vessel  reach  port,"  she 
said. 

"And  sometimes  —  "  Drew  bridled  his  tongue 
abruptly.  Could  not  she  picture  the  hideous 
possibilities  for  herself? 

"  It  is  a  strange  thing  that  we  should  twice  face 
death  together,"  spoke  the  girl.  "  Is  it  fate  ?  " 

The  man  made  some  incoherent  answer.  His 
eyes  held  her  in  an  impassioned  scrutiny.  A 
flare  of  yellow  light  from  a  door  flung  suddenly 
outward  spun  them  round.  The  captain's  figure 
silhouetted  itself  in  the  doorway,  and  Austin 
darted  forward.  To  the  watchers  that  unheard 


86  THE    MASTERY 

colloquy  seemed  fraught  with  sinister  meaning. 
The  cabin  door  slammed  shut. 

The  girl  shivered. 

"  It  has  come,"  she  whispered.     "  It  has  come." 

Drew's  fingers  closed  upon  hers  in  the  darkness. 

"  Katherine,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  Katherine, 
there's  something  I  want  to  intrust  to  you.  I 
may  not  have  another  chance.  It  is  a  letter." 

"  For  Dick  ?  " 

"  For  you  !  " 

The  captive  hand  stirred  suddenly  ;  then  for 
an  instant  gave  clasp  for  clasp.  In  silence  she 
took  the  missive  and  placed  it  in  the  bosom  of 
her  dress. 

"If  this  should  prove — good-by,"  he  added, 
"  read." 

Then  the  admiral  bore  down  upon  them. 

"  Out  of  the  woods,"  he  called  cheerily.  "  Out 
of  the  woods." 

Katherine  caught  his  arm  convulsively. 

"  It's  under  control  ?  " 

"  It's  out,  my  dear.  Every  spark  !  Now  let's 
turn  in  and  get  our  beauty  sleep." 

Under  cover  of  the  darkness  a  paper  was  slipped 
into  Drew's  hand. 

"It's  good  night — not  good-by,"  said  a  low 
voice. 


THE    MASTERY  87 

Under  cover  of  the  darkness  still,  the  unread 
fragments  of  a  man's  first  love-letter  presently 
fluttered  over  the  rail  to  a  watery  oblivion. 

They  two  were  no  more  alone.  By  day  the 
liner  encountered  a  glassy  sea  below  the  Banks, 
the  stewards  removed  the  table  guards,  and  Mrs. 
Austin  reappeared  in  the  world.  The  admiral's 
wife  was  the  soul  of  courtesy  to  Drew,  receiving 
him  on  the  precise  footing  which  his  deserts  war 
ranted,  but  he  was  deftly  made  to  feel  that  even  a 
family  friend  might  not  see  all  he  would  of  the 
family's  flower.  Nor  was  this  all.  He  was  con 
vinced  that  Katherine  welcomed  the  yoke  of 
a  chaperonage  which,  were  she  so  minded,  she 
could  have  easily  evaded.  He  knew  that  she 
had  not  made  a  confidante  of  her  aunt,  since  the 
admiral  had  requested  that  his  wife  be  told  noth 
ing  of  the  hazard  they  had  run  until  they  landed. 
This  restraint,  then,  was  of  her  own  volition.  It 
signified  that  she  had  understood.  It  was  her 
answer. 

With  the  morrow's  daybreak  came  a  wonderful 
scent  of  new-mown  hay  blown  across  the  salt 
from  the  Long  Island  coast,  and  while  the  morn 
ing  was  yet  young  they  docked.  Senator  Went- 
worth  was  at  the  pier  and  a  bearer  of  unhappy 
news. 


88  THE    MASTERY 

"  Poor  Spedding  underwent  a  paralytic  stroke 
a  week  ago,"  he  said.  "  One  arm  lies  useless. 
His  mind,  though,  is  as  unclouded  as  this  morn 
ing's  sky.  He  has  asked  repeatedly  when  you 
would  return." 

"  Dick  could  have  told  you.  I  cabled  him  be 
fore  I  sailed.  I  will  arrange  to  stop  at  Albany." 

"  Do,  sir,"  Wentworth  urged.  "  And  if  you 
can  meet  him  halfway  in  a  matter  he  means  to 
broach,  it  will  rejoice  us  all." 

Drew  forebore  to  question,  and  if  Wentworth 
meant  to  drop  any  further  hint  of  the  stricken 
leader's  purpose,  the  joy  of  being  again  with 
Katherine  put  it  out  of  mind.  When  he  pres 
ently  bore  her  away,  it  was  with  the  engrossed 
tenderness  of  a  lover.  Drew  set  about  getting 
his  luggage  passed  by  the  customs  and  was  labor 
ing  ruefully  over  his  scattered  belongings,  when 
Harris  suddenly  hurdled  a  trunk  and  pumped 
him  furiously  by  the  hand. 

"  I  thought  I'd  find  you  under  *  D,'  "  he 
panted.  "  Should  have  waved  my  lily-white  hand 
from  the  pier  if  a  hot  box  hadn't  held  up  my  train." 

Drew's  color,  which  a  refractory  trunk-strap 
had  freshened,  went  a  shade  deeper  before  these 
unconscious  coals  of  fire.  What  would  be  his 
welcome  if  Dick  knew  ! 


THE   MASTERY  89 

"  You've  just  missed  her,  boy,"  he  said  hur 
riedly.  "  She  left  with  the  senator  not  five 
minutes  ago." 

The  young  man  was  not  appreciably  bowed 
down  with  disappointment. 

"  Oh,  I  can  look  Katherine  up  at  her  hotel," 
he  returned.  "  It's  you  I  came  particularly  to 
see." 

Remorse  stabbed  Drew  afresh. 

"  It  was  thoughtful  of  you,  Dick." 

"  Don't  be  too  grateful.  I  planned  coming 
weeks  ago,  but  I  didn't  count  on  bringing  bad 
news.  It's  important,  however,  and  I  think  I'd 
better  fork  it  over  right  here  among  the  ruins." 

Drew's  faculties  cleared. 

"No;  wait  a  moment,"  he  called,  darting  to 
block  an  avalanche  of  clean  linen  making  for  the 
grimy  planking  under  foot.  "  I  don't  mind 
troubles  in  battalions  provided  they  attack  in 
order.  Just  get  a  cab,  will  you,  while  I  scramble 
these  duds  together  ?  " 

As  their  cabman  threaded  the  maze  of  pro 
fanity  and  trucks  without,  Harris  did  his  worst. 

"You  own  a  newspaper  without  news,"  he 
announced.  "  That's  the  boiled-down,  concen 
trated,  triple  extract  of  my  tale  of  woe." 

"  Our  news  agency  ?  " 


90  THE    MASTERY 

"  Went  completely  to  pot  day  before  yester 
day.  Its  customers  have  been  simply  stampeding 
to  the  Federated  Press  ever  since  you  sailed.  I 
cabled  your  London  bankers  just  too  late  to  over 
take  you.  Long  before  I  wrote  you  at  Paris 
what  I  thought  of  the  situation." 

"  I   received  no  letter." 

"  No  ?  Still  chasing  you,  I  presume.  Any 
how  it  was  merely  a  bulletin  of  failing  health. 
Its  news  interest  fades  beside  the  death  notice. 
You  may  remember  that  I  suggested  a  change 
when  you  bought." 

"I  remember,"  Drew  admitted.  "And  I 
meant  to  change.  Other  things  interfered  with 
my  doing  much  for  the  paper.  It  seemed  to  be 
doing  very  well  for  itself.  There  were  no  danger 
signals  when  I  left.  The  press  association  war 
was  an  old  story.  Nobody  looked  for  a  crisis." 

"  The  end  came  with  a  rush.  I  foresaw  the 
drift  of  things  when  I  cabled  for  instructions." 

"And  lacking  them?" 

"  We  went  ahead  on  our  own  hook." 

"  Right." 

"  And  applied  in  your  name  for  admission  to 
the  Federated  Press." 

"  Right  again.     That  was  when  ?  " 

"  The  day   before  our  association  assigned." 


THE    MASTERY  91 

"  Yes.     Go  on." 

"  They  refused  a  franchise." 

"  They  refused  me  I  Some  of  their  chief 
stockholders  are  my  personal  friends  !  " 

"  So  I  discovered.  They  were  honey-mouthed 
about  it  I  assure  you." 

"  But  what  excuse  —  " 

"  Red  tape  —  iron-clad  rules.  They  stuck  to 
it  that  they  were  bound  hand  and  foot.  The 
objection  of  a  single  newspaper  belonging  to  their 
association  in  our  town  is  sufficient  cause  to 
debar  an  applicant.  You'll  readily  guess  which 
esteemed  contemporary  did  the  knifing." 

"  Redfern  withheld  his  consent !  " 

"  James  the   Magnificent  himself." 

"  On  what  grounds  ?  " 

"  Highly  moral  grounds  of  course.  The  Mes 
senger^  it  appears,  was  bought  up  to  serve  as  the 
organ  of  a  shifty  corporation  —  or  something  to 
that  effect." 

"  No  matter.  What  has  the  paper  done  for 
news  ?  " 

"  Begged,  borrowed,  and  stolen.  We've  had 
two  awful  days,  as  you'll  understand  when  you 
see  the  files.  I  hadn't  the  brutality  to  bring 
samples.  The  fellows  on  all  the  papers  except 
Redfern's  did  what  they  could  in  a  quiet  way. 


92  THE    MASTERY 

The  Mail  isn't  popular  among  the  boys.  So 
there's  the  situation  at  its  rosiest." 

Drew  was  silent,  his  eyes  on  the  tumult  of 
Broadway  into  which  their  carriage  by  now  had 
turned.  Harris  gloomed  out  upon  Broadway  too, 
but  found  it  for  the  first  time  barren  of  inspiration. 

"  Redfern  certainly  appears  to  have  the  whip 
hand  this  time,"  he  offered  dolorously. 

His  uncle  made  no  response. 

"  But  I  dare  say  he  is  merely  playing  off  till 
you  arrive.  He'll  give  in  when  you  go  to  him 
in  person,  as  I  suppose  you  will  be  obliged  to 
do  ?  Won't  you  ?  " 

"  Eh  !  "      Drew  came  out  of  his  preoccupation. 

"You'll  see   Redfern?" 

"See   Redfern!     I'll  see  the  devil  first!" 

"But  —  " 

He  went  no  farther.  Drew  was  in  crisp  con 
verse  with  the  cabman.  The  carriage  lurched 
round  at  the  first  gap  in  the  traffic  and  began  to 
retrace  its  course. 

"  Buckingham,  Metropole,  Grand,"  muttered 
Drew. 

"Eh!"      Dick  came  at  him  in  turn. 

"  Victoria,  Alexandra  —  it  was  something  royal  ! 

S Didn't  it  begin  with  an  S  ?  Sa — Savoy! 

It  was  Savoy  !  W.  Spencer  Osborn,  Savoy 


THE    MASTERY  93 

Hotel,  Victoria  Embankment,  London,  W.  C. — 
that  was  the  whole  lingo  !  " 

"  Willie  Osborn  —  *  Little  Lord  Fauntleroy  ' 
Osborn  !  Did  you  see  that  sickening  cad  over 
there  ?  " 

But  the  cab  stopped,  and  Drew  had  one 
foot  on  the  curb  before  Harris  made  an  end. 
Dick  thoughtfully  closed  his  mouth  which 
Drew's  precipitate  flight  had  left  ajar,  and 
deduced  what  he  could  from  the  fact  that  his 
uncle  had  disappeared  within  the  office  of  one  of 
the  transatlantic  cables.  He  was  not  long  left 
in  suspense. 

"  And  to  think  that  that  blessed  boy  almost 
cut  me  when  I  stumbled  on  him  in  the  Strand !  " 
Drew  exclaimed  gayly,  reappearing  at  the  carriage 
door.  "  But  that  might  have  been  the  fault  of 
his  monocle.  It  wasn't  under  perfect  control. 
Hating  America  in  general,  Two  Rivers  in 
particular,  and  the  newspaper  his  father  founded 
most  of  all,  —  such  was  my  countryman  !  " 

"  For  the  love  of  heaven,  what  does  all  this 
mean  ?  " 

"  It  means  that  I've  come  to  believe  in  Chance. 
It  means  that  I  have  cabled  that  expatriated  ass 
an  offer  for  his  controlling  interest  in  the  Posf, 
which  carries  with  it  a  Federated  Press  franchise." 


94  THE    MASTERY 

"Will  he  sell?" 

"  Sell !  He  begged  me  to  find  him  a  pur 
chaser.  Sell !  His  answer  will  scorch  back  at  a 
gait  that  will  boil  water  around  the  cable.  Sell ! 
To  his  daily  '  God  Save  the  Queen'  he'll  add 
*  and  that  man  Drew '  !  " 

Dick  enacted  a  Comanche  yell  in  pantomime. 

"  We  could  call  it  the  Post-Messenger"  he 
said. 

"  Or  make  them  our  morning  and  evening 
editions." 

"  No  other  plant  in  the  city  will  equal  it  I  " 

"  We'll  make  it  the  livest  newspaper  concern 
up  the  state." 

"  WThen  the  cablegram  comes,  I  move  we  cele 
brate,"  Dick  suggested.  "  New  York  is  just 
about  big  enough  for  the  occasion." 

"  When  the  cablegram  comes,  I  shall  be  in 
Albany.  I'm  off  to  see  poor  Spedding  at  once." 

Dick's  face  fell. 

"  I  should  think  you  would  want  to  relax  after 
this,"  he  said  ruefully. 

"  Relax  !  I  relaxed  on  shipboard.  Too  much, 
in  fact.  Indeed,  I  can  see  now  that  I  was  much 
out  of  form  on  the  voyage.  But  this  thing  has 
put  life  in  my  veins.  I  feel  fighting  fit." 


CHAPTER   IX 

AT  sundown  he  sat  in  Spedding's  study  win 
dow  looking  over  the  conjoined  parks  of  Capitol 
Hill.  The  foliage  whispered  under  a  breeze 
from  the  Catskills,  and  the  trumpets  of  a  honey 
suckle  beneath  the  sill  blew  intermittent  little 
gusts  of  fragrance  into  the  room.  There  was  a 
sociable  chatter  of  squirrels  and  robins  going  on 
in  the  twilight  under  the  elms,  while  in  a  lighter 
spot  beyond  the  greensward  a  row  of  fluted  pil 
lars  glowed  like  ivory.  Yet  farther  rose  the  granite 
and  sandstone  masses  of  a  clock-tower  steeped  in 
the  ruddy  wine  of  a  single  shaft  of  fading  light 
whose  radiance  was  the  brighter  for  a  contrasting 
purple  bar  athwart  leafage,  pavement,  and  turf, 
which  marked  the  loom  of  the  unseen  capitol. 

"  It's  as  tranquil  as  some  village  common  in 
New  England,"  said  the  old  man,  inclining  his 
white  head  toward  the  prospect.  "  It  amuses  my 
second  childhood  to  fancy  it  such  at  times.  Just 
one  thing  mars  the  illusion :  the  shadow  of  the 
huge  pile  around  the  corner  that  Freeman  called 
the  Duke  of  Albany's  chateau." 


96  THE    MASTERY 

"  Your  chateau." 

"  Pish,"  rebuked  the  leader.  Nevertheless  the 
oblique  recognition  of  his  supremacy  pleased  him, 
and  after  a  little  moment  he  commented  softly, 
"Dukedom  and  chateau  —  shadows  both!" 

"  Yet  you  might  have  held  office,"  Drew 
reminded.  "  Any  you  chose." 

"  I  dare  say.     Any  save  one." 

"  The  presidency  ?  " 

"  Aye.  A  boss  may  not  tenant  the  White 
House,  make  as  many  Presidents  as  he  will. 
Some  hovering  aegis  forbids." 

"There  was  Van  Buren." 

"  They  called  their  bosses  dictators  in  his  day," 
Spedding  chuckled.  "  A  sounding  title." 

"And  you're  a  triumvir." 

"  In  the  same  breath  with  Wentworth  and 
Maddox.  By  myself  I'm  plain  Boss  Spedding. 
That's  the  killing  epithet." 

"  So  it's  a  question  of  terms  ? "  Drew  said, 
amused.  He  had  never  seen  him  in  quite  this 
mood.  "  I  detest  that  word  c  boss,'  but  I  never 
thought  it  ill-omened." 

"  Don't  refine  upon  the  idea,"  laughed  Sped 
ding,  "  or  you'll  turn  it  to  nonsense  like  a  dis 
sected  proverb.  The  grain  of  truth  in  it  is  that 
in  the  long  run,  the  more  skilful  the  politician. 


THE    MASTERY  97 

the  less  his  chance.  Samuel  Adams  was  the 
politician  par  excellence  of  the  Revolution.  You 
might  almost  say  the  movement  was  of  his 
cradling.  Yet  he  failed  even  of  an  election  to 
Congress  when  it  came  to  launching  the  ship 
of  state." 

"  Perhaps  it  was  because  he  was  called  Sam," 
Drew  suggested  lightly.  "  Nicknames  seem  a 
handicap  in  the  presidential  race.  Yet  Sam 
Adams,  politician,  must  have  had  compensations 
of  which,  say,  John  Adams,  statesman,  never 
dreamed." 

"  Bless  you,  yes.  Why,  even  that  fearsome 
monster  the  boss  has  his  compensations." 

"  Perhaps  it's  as  well.  He  seems  rather  neces 
sary  nowadays." 

"  Say  in  any  day,  for  you  are  dealing  with  a 
manifestation  of  human  nature  which  changes  its 
fashions  but  not  its  skin.  The  political  engine 
minus  its  engineer  is  junk,"  he  added  energeti 
cally.  "  Of  course  there  are  engineers  and  engi 
neers.  Some  of  them  deserve  well  of  their 
country ;  some  ought  to  get  the  sack.  Van 
Buren,  whom  you  instance,  was  a  pretty  good 
citizen  if  his  famous  Albany  Regency  did  fore 
shadow  the  Boss  System.  The  machine  which 
his  opponents  founded  in  self-defence  was  far  less 


9 8  THE    MASTERY 

squeamish.  Yet  nobody  now  questions  the  ulti 
mate  patriotism  of  either.  Hamilton,  Van  Buren, 
Seward,  —  those  names  and  a  host  of  others,  New 
Yorkers  all,  Americans  every  inch,  stand  for 
statesmanship.  Who  remembers  that  they  had 
to  dicker  and  buttonhole  in  the  Tontine  Coffee 
House  or  the  Eagle  Tavern  to  shape  the  larger 
ends  which  are  their  true  memorial !  So  bossism 
—  which  is  the  creature  of  its  environment  as 
were  its  forerunners  —  will  drop  into  perspective 
and  history  assay  its  output  impartially." 

Electrics  sputtered  into  trying  brilliance  near 
and  far  among  the  dusky  elms,  while  indoors  a 
servant  entered  and  lit  a  shaded  reading  lamp. 
Spedding  pushed  back  from  the  window,  fore 
stalling  a  movement  of  Drew's  to  aid. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? "  he  inquired 
briskly. 

"  Do  ?  " 

"  With  your  life,  I  mean.  You  can't  go  back 
to  the  old  rut  if  you  would.  You  have  reached 
a  turning-point  —  the  summit  of  Dante's  'arch 
of  life.'  What  are  your  plans  ?  " 

"Your  view  there  reminded  me  of  one  just 
now.  I  mean  to  give  my  town  a  park." 

"  You  have  prospered  !     Tell  me  about  it." 

"  Europe  planted  the  idea." 


THE    MASTERY  99 

"  And  your  railway  stock  watered  it  ?  "  flashed 
the  old  man.  "  Stick  to  your  botanic  metaphor, 
and  you'll  have  your  enemies  saying  as  much." 

"  The  street  railway  fertilized  it  at  least.  My 
real  estate  ventures  have  all  panned  out  so 
famously  that  it's  only  fair  to  share  my  good 
luck  with  the  public.  The  city  lacks  adequate 
parks,  and  I  intend  by  and  by  to  deed  it  my 
boyhood  playground,  —  the  ravine  containing  my 
father's  mill.  There  are  a  hundred  odd  acres  of 
it,  —  meadow,  copse,  stream  ;  the  raw  material  of  a 
public  breathing-spot  a  landscape  gardener  would 
almost  go  without  his  fee  to  reshape.  It  would 
need  few  changes.  I'd  put  a  road  where  the  dis 
used  millrace  lies,  for  the  race  leads  through  the 
heart  of  the  glen.  Oak,  dogwood,  sumach,  wild 
grape,  start  everywhere  from  the  rocks  and  inter 
lock  above  the  pools,  and  in  a  place  I  know 
behind  the  mill  the  cowslips  grow  as  thick  as 
buttercups.  Then  there's  a  spot  where  my 
mother  always  found  the  first  trailing  arbutus. 
The  mill  would  remain.  I'd  stipulate  that.  The 
children  could  play  there.  It's  a  quiet  place, 
moss-grown  toward  the  water,  ivy-covered  toward 
the  woods.  The  dam  broke  in  a  freshet  years 
ago,  and  the  wheel  is  green  with  moss  too." 

"  Picturesque." 


ioo  THE   MASTERY 

"  Yes.  But  I  never  saw  it  in  that  light  till  I 
went  abroad.  It  was  simply  a  thing  I  loved. 
But  one  day  on  the  Continent  I  ran  across  a 
ruined  mill  in  a  park.  It  was  not  like  my  mill. 
It  wasn't  a  part  of  its  surroundings.  It  did  not 
look  as  if  it  had  grown  there  with  the  rocks.  It 
had  a  transplanted  air,  and  what  little  nature  there 
was  about  had  been  made  over  —  you  know  how  ?  " 

"  I  know,"  Spedding  nodded.  "  Smoothed, 
ironed,  barbered." 

"  But  it  gave  me  my  idea.  I  saw  that  my  mill 
was  beautiful,  picturesque.  Had  I  a  family  I  dare 
say  I  should  have  been  fired  with  the  ambition  to 
build  a  house  out  there,  but  I'm  not  home-build 
ing  and  the  city  will  be  the  gainer." 

"  You've  never  thought  of  marrying  ?  " 

Drew  hesitated. 

"  None  of  my  damned  business,  of  course," 
whipped  in  the  old  man.  "  I  am  always  tramp 
ing  right  over  keep-off-the-grass  signs  with  people 
I  like.  After  the  park,  what  ?  " 

"  Work  never  fails  to  turn  up." 

"Yes,  work  of  a  sort  —  day-to-day  drudgeries 
or  pleasures.  But  I'm  driving  at  something 
bigger.  I  want  your  keynote,  your  darling  ambi 
tion —  in  short,  your  scheme  of  life.  You  will 
give  your  park  to  the  city  which  has  enriched 


THE    MASTERY  101 

you.  Good  !  You  will  call  Redfern's  Federated 
Press  bluff.  Good !  You'll  go  on  picking  up 
street  railways  here  and  there  probably,  since  you 
have  found  they  pay,  and  because  you're  thick 
with  a  syndicate  which  will  make  it  worth  your 
while  to  stay  by  them.  Good  !  But  after  that 
what  ?  Are  you  content  to  remain  merely  a 
money-spinner,  a  professional  rich  man  ?  I'm 
willing  to  grant  that  the  science  of  wealth  is  a 
learned  profession  if  you  like.  I'll  grant  that 
directly  or  indirectly,  in  one  way  or  another, 
good  may  spring  from  its  pursuit.  I'll  grant  the 
mental  stimulus :  that  it  requires  keen  brains, 
hair-trigger  minds,  great  intellects,  if  you  please, 
to  manipulate  the  stock  market,  build  railroads, 
coerce  tariffs,  juggle  food-stuffs,  pyramid  millions 
on  millions.  I  grant  the  spur,  the  seduction,  the 
bigness  even,  of  the  game.  But  is  it  enough  ? 
Is  it  the  measure  of  the  aspiration  of  a  man  like 
you  ?  " 

Drew  smiled  into  Spedding's  intense  old  eyes. 

"  You're  getting  round  to  politics  again,"  he 
accused. 

"  Yes,"  Spedding  admitted,  "  yes,  back  to  the 
game  of  games." 

"  You  want  me  to  turn  politician  ?  " 

"  Not  turn  !     You  are  one,  a  politician  born. 


102  THE    MASTERY 

I  would  persuade  you  to  swim  with  the  current 
of  your  manifest  destiny.  You  have  had  to  do 
with  politics  all  your  adult  life.  You  have  used 
politics  as  a  lever  in  your  business  advancement 
—  for  the  benefit  of  the  few.  I  want  you  to  use 
politics  now  to  serve  the  many,  your  party,  the 
state." 

"  A  railroad  man  isn't  a  popular  vote-getter 
if  it's  office-holding  you  mean.  Besides  I've  had 
my  thirst  slaked.  The  sensations  of  a  mayor  and 
a  governor  differ  only  in  degree." 

"I  don't  mean  office-holding,  man.  I've  seen 
all  that  at  too  close  range  to  suggest  it  to  you. 

O  OO  * 

No.  I  don't  want  you  to  run  for  office.  I 
want  you  to  help  me  now  —  I  want  you  to  fill 
my  place  by  and  by." 

The  younger  man  made  a  sign  of  protest. 

"  Don't  speak  of  successors  —  " 

"  Look !  " 

Drew  turned.  Throughout  their  talk  Sped- 
ding  had  shunned  reference  to  his  physical  con 
dition.  He  had  brushed  aside  inquiry  at  the 
outset,  and  the  vivacity  of  his  subsequent  chat 
thrust  the  recollection  of  it  from  his  caller's 
mind.  Now,  with  a  gesture  of  ineffable  pathos, 
the  old  man  recalled  his  plight. 

"Look!"    he  said.     With  his  sound  arm  he 


THE    MASTERY  103 

raised  its  useless  fellow,  held  it  so  suspended  an 
instant,  then  let  it  fall,  adding,  "  It  is  time  for 
plain  speech." 

Drew  was  silenced. 

"  I  have  cast  about  among  you  younger  men 
for  a  year  or  more,"  Spedding  went  on.  "  I 
have  weighed  many  who  stand  closer  to  me  than 
you  have  stood,  but  it  is  always  to  you  that  I 
return.  This  street-railway  episode  just  closed 
satisfies  me  that  my  intuition  is  correct.  What 
you  have  done  locally  for  the  sake  of  a  corpora 
tion,  you  can  do  elsewhere  on  a  larger  scale  for 
your  party.  You  have  the  instinct  of  practical 
leadership.  You  can  handle  men,  singly  or  in 
the  mass.  You  get  things  done." 

He  was  silent  a  moment,  with  the  soft  lamp 
light  falling  on  his  venerable  head.  After  all, 
Drew  reflected,  the  room  rather  than  the  man 
signified  what  he  was.  Spedding  himself  might 
have  passed  for  a  poet  or  a  philanthropist,  cer 
tainly  a  scholar,  but  this  chamber,  mirroring  his 
mind,  was  fragrant  with  historic  associations  :  its 
aroma  blent  of  pipe-smoke  and  old  books,  its  rare 
manuscripts,  its  portraits  of  the  commonwealth's 
greater  sons  —  the  living,  the  dead,  his  teachers, 
pupils,  friends  ;  its  mantelpiece  from  the  demol 
ished  capitol  preceding  the  "  chateau,"  its  desk 


104  THE    MASTERY 

once  used  by  a  governor  he  had  made  President, 
its  very  outlook  upon  the  summit  where  the 
state's  energies  focussed,  all  bespoke  Spedding 
and  evoked  a  past  of  singular  richness  of  which 
he  might  boast  that  he  had  been  no  trivial  part. 

But  Spedding  was  no  braggart. 

"  I  should  be  a  silly  old  man  to  babble  of 
handing  down  this  intangible  dukedom,  as  you 
call  it,"  he  continued,  looking  up.  "  It  belongs 
to  the  fittest.  It  is  because  I  think  you  the  fit 
test  of  those  who  shall  come  after  that  I  am 
talking  to  you  as  I  have  talked  to  no  man  in 
my  life.  You  recognize,  as  does  every  thinking 
man,  that  whatever  the  dominant  party  in  the 
state,  it  devolves  upon  a  little  group  to  guide, 
and  that  of  that  group  one  man  is  nearly  always 
salient.  Hamilton  was  the  master  spirit  in  the 
Federalist  group,  Van  Buren  in  the  Albany 
Regency,  Weed  among  the  early  Republicans, 
Tilden  among  the  Democrats,  so  down  the  chang 
ing  years.  Call  the  group  Regency  —  Firm  —  Big 
Four  —  yes,  Triumvirate,  —  what  you  will,  one 
brain  virtually  controls.  The  drift  of  politics  is 
toward  one-man  power.  Hence  the  Boss.  With 
us  I  admit  that  on  the  surface  it  often  looks  like 
dual  rule.  There  have  always  been  two  New 
Yorks,  urban  and  rural,  now  united,  now  at  war ; 


THE    MASTERY  105 

it  is  a  condition  as  old  as  the  civilized  community, 
and  if  some  anthropologist  told  me  that  the 
Indians  had  the  same  circus  before  us,  I  wouldn't 
doubt  it  one  whit.  But  whether  he  come  from 
the  North  Woods  or  below  the  Bronx,  provided 
only  his  finger  knows  the  pulse  of  the  state  at 
large,  the  Man  will  prevail.  His  is  the  dukedom." 

Drew  was  deeply  stirred.  The  strange  inter 
view  had  not  quickened  his  ambition  particularly, 
but  it  had  begotten  a  lively  desire  to  be  of  present 
service  to  Spedding,  let  the  future  bring  or  with 
hold  what  it  might. 

"  What  do  you  want  me  to  do  ?  "   he  asked. 

"  I  want  you  to  be  my  new  arm,"  Spedding 
answered,  touching  his  inert  member.  "  And  my 
new  arm  is  just  now  most  needed  in  the  chair 
manship  of  the  executive  committee." 

"  There  are  to  be  changes,  then  ?  " 

"  Changes  and  changes,"  rejoined  Spedding,  his 
shrewd  eyes  twinkling  through  the  lamplight. 
"  '  Hail  to  thee,  thane  of  Glamis !  Hail  to  thee, 
thane  of  Cawdor  !' ' 

Drew  was  at  no  loss  to  penetrate  the  old  man's 
meaning.  By  unwritten  law  the  chairman  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  state  committee  was 
heir  apparent  to  the  chairmanship  of  the  larger 
body. 


io6  THE    MASTERY 

"  I  want  you  in  the  line  of  succession,"  Sped- 
ding  went  on.  "  Scovill's  health  is  in  a  worse 
way  than  people  realize,  and  the  last  session  here 
told  on  him  particularly.  But  he  has  sand,  — 
Scovill  has,  —  and  he's  promised  to  stick  it  out 
till  the  campaign  is  over,  provided  we  infuse  more 
young  blood  into  the  organization  and  take  over 
a  part  of  his  load." 

"  Young  blood  would  help  the  whole  party,  I 
think,"  Drew  remarked.  "We  don't  get  hold 
of  the  twenty-one-year-olds  as  we  used." 

"That's  the  idea,"  applauded  Spedding. 
"That's  what  I  want  you  for.  I  want  you  to 
capture  the  army  of  new  voters  in  this  state,  the 
army  half  the  size  of  Sherman's  which  yearly 
arrives  at  voting  age.  I'm  not  inviting  you  to 
a  summer  snap.  There'll  be  times  you'll  wish 
you  were  twins.  The  job  will  mean  long  days  at 
state  headquarters  when  the  asphalt  of  Madison 
Square  will  fry  and  fricassee  with  the  mercury  at 
par ;  and  perhaps  still  longer  nights  when  you'll 
sigh  to  swap  clothes  with  Diana  on  the  tower.  It 
will  mean  hard  work,  but  you're  not  afraid  of 
work ;  and  all  the  while  you  will  be  soaking  in 
the  thing  you  need  most,  —  familiarity,  intimate 
familiarity  with  the  whole  state,  county  by  county, 
township  by  township.  You  know  the  party's 


THE    MASTERY  107 

general  staff,  the  higher  officers,  well  enough. 
You  need  only  a  little  better  acquaintance  with 
the  subalterns  and  the  rank  and  file.  Then  let 
Scovill  step  down  when  he  will." 

"But  if  by  then   I've  had  enough?" 

"  No  danger.     Come  !     Give  me  your  word." 

"I'll  sleep  on  it." 

At  breakfast  he  promised. 

"  But  give  me  an  interval  to  myself  first,"  he 
conditioned.  "  I've  something  of  a  household  to 
set  in  order." 

"You'll  be  foot-loose  till  the  state  committee 
meets  —  say  the  middle  of  August.  If  it  weren't 
an  off  year,  we  couldn't  postpone  things  so  long." 

"  I'll  be  ready.  From  the  committee  meeting 
till  election  the  party  shall  stand  first." 

"  That's  the  talk,"  Spedding  approved. 

The  maid  at  this  juncture  laid  a  cablegram 
beside  Drew's  plate.  Excusing  himself,  he  tore 
it  open,  flushing  a  little  as  he  read. 

"  Osborn  accepts,"   he  announced  quietly. 

Spedding  hailed  the  tidings  as  a  dove  of  peace. 

"  You  can  afford  to  be  magnanimous,"  he  said 
jubilantly.  "A  month  hence  you  and  Redfern 
will  be  discussing  local  issues  in  a  cosey  corner." 

Drew's  square  jaw  stiffened. 

"  On  his  motion,  understand." 


io8  THE    MASTERY 

"  Assuredly,"  smiled  Spedding.  "  As  soon  as 
he  gets  wind  of  your  coming  promotion,  he'll 
exude  harmony  at  every  pore.  I've  been  a  life 
long  believer  in  compromise,  or  at  least  since  I 
cut  my  political  eye-teeth  back  in  the  prehistoric 
times  of  the  Barnburners  and  the  Hunkers.  My 
teething-ring  was  Van  Rensselaer  Wood.  You've 
doubtless  heard  many  a  yarn  about  Wood?  He 
was  Dutch  on  the  distaff  side  and  as  obstinate  as 
old  Petrus  Stuyvesant  himself.  Well,  as  long  as 
Van  and  I  fought  one  another,  the  common  enemy 
got  the  ballots.  Then  we  made  up.  When  he 
died,  ten  years  ago,  he  was  on  the  Court  of  Appeals 
bench  ;  and  I've  done  so-so  myself.  Yes  ;  I  be 
lieve  in  compromise.  It's  the  cement  of  majori 
ties.  Redfern  will  be  a  convert  presently.  The 
ease  with  which  you'll  get  together  will  amuse 
you." 


CHAPTER   X 

THE  process  rather  more  than  amused  Drew. 
It  enlarged  his  knowledge  of  human  nature. 
Redfern's  paper  mirrored  his  chameleon  moods. 
Dumb  under  the  blow  of  the  Post-Messenger 
checkmate,  speech  of  a  halting  perfunctory  sort 
returned  to  the  Mail  as  the  newspaper  ado,  coup 
ling  Drew's  name  with  the  chairmanship,  ran  its 
checkered  course  of  yea  and  nay  before  receiv 
ing  its  authoritative  mint-stamp  from  Spedding  ; 
while  Drew's  proposed  gift  to  the  city  un- 
dammed  a  rhetoric  flood  which  dexterously 
ignored  the  sources  of  his  largess.  By  such 
peace  offerings  Redfern  paved  the  way  to  an 
hour  when  he  met  his  enemy  face  to  face  in  the 
Valley  Club,  and,  as  oblivious  of  yesterday's  feud 
as  if  it  concerned  dead  Thebes  or  Nineveh,  pro 
ceeded  to  laud  the  public  spirit  of  his  "esteemed 
contemporary." 

"  I  never  saw  a  man  eat  dirt  with  such  relish," 
observed  Dick,  queasily.  "  Could  you  bolt  such 
a  pill,  Philip,  to  be  governor?" 

109 


no  THE    MASTERY 

"  Not  to  be  czar  of  the  earth.  It  dashes  my 
faith  in  the  dignity  of  man.  I  hate  a  liar,  but 
when  he's  a  hypocrite  too  —  faugh  !  " 

"  I  suppose,  all  the  same,  that  the  prospective 
chairman  will  from  now  on  be  obliged  to  give 
the  mendacious  yet  useful  spellbinder  the  glad 
hand?" 

"  Oh,  yes,"  assented  Drew,  gloomily. 

"  For  our  great  and  good  friend  the  mayor 
must  be  renominated,  and  McOuade,  who  has 
set  his  foolish  heart  on  a  seat  in  the  Assembly, 
must  be  gratified  !  " 

"  Not  to  mention  a  baker's  dozen  other  rea 
sons  besides  the  chief  wherefore." 

"  That  the  man  who  bosses  a  state  campaign 
should  show  a  clean  bill  of  health  in  his  own 
county  ?  " 

"Just  so." 

"  The  politician's  life  is  not  a  happy  one, 
happy  one,"  Dick  sang. 

"  Shut  up  !  "  said  his  uncle.  "  You  give  me  the 
blues." 

The  incident  put  him  out  of  conceit  with 
his  task.  He  wondered  if  many  such  step 
ping-stones  would  dot  the  causeway  of  political 
expediency.  With  Spedding  he  believed  com 
promise  an  efficacious  oil  in  forwarding  human 


THE    MASTERY  in 

affairs,  but  he  held  that  as  there  was  a  time  to 
compromise,  there  was  also  a  time  to  crush ;  and 
foremost  among  the  noxious  things  which  should 
be  harshly  dealt  with,  he  was  accustomed  to  rank 
the  weakling  who  broke  his  word.  The  man 
himself  was  no  pattern  of  sanctity,  but  in  his 
rough-hewn  virile  creed  Redfern's  offences  were 
labelled  unclean.  Yet,  detest  each  other  as  they 
cordially  did,  the  two  were  in  frequent  consulta 
tion  well  within  the  month  Spedding  named. 
Thus,  too,  it  fell  out  that  they  travelled  to  New 
York  in  the  same  sleeper  for  the  general  gather 
ing  of  politicians  attracted  by  the  state  committee 
meeting,  and  that  the  convention  a  month  later 
often  beheld  them  sitting  side  by  side. 

From  the  outset  of  his  service  at  the  busy 
treadmill  in  Madison  Square,  Drew  perceived  that 
the  present  state  chairman  had  meant  what  he 
said  in  demanding  a  lightening  of  his  responsible 
burden.  He  was  an  anaemic  person  whom  the 
city  noises  fretted  to  distraction,  and  upon  the 
morning  of  Drew's  arrival  he  was  testily  routing 
even  the  members  of  his  own  clerical  force  beyond 
ear-shot.  As  the  days  went  by,  detail  after  detail 
of  this  semi-invalid's  province  was  shifted  upon 
the  newcomer  whom  nothing  fretted,  nothing 
tired.  Did  the  county  chairman  of  Seneca  have 


ii2  THE    MASTERY 

a  grievance  ?  See  Drew.  Did  the  factions  in 
Genesee  require  a  tactful  arbiter  ?  See  Drew. 
Did  the  anti-machine  element  in  Erie  threaten 
trouble  ?  See  Drew.  And  meanwhile  Drew 
somehow  saw  to  the  campaign  at  large  for  whose 
safe-conduct  he  more  than  any  man  would  be 
held  accountable.  Off  year  though  it  was,  the 
state  senators  now  chosen  would  have  a  voice  in 
deciding  whether  Katherine's  father  should  suc 
ceed  himself  at  Washington. 

Spedding's  interest  was  keen,  his  eye  every 
where.  Yet,  as  in  the  past,  his  supervision  was 
unobtrusive,  often  unguessed,  a  leadership  of 
tactful  suggestion.  In  other  years  he  had  spent 
much  of  the  summer  following  the  campaign's 
opening  at  a  shore  resort  easily  accessible  from 
New  York.  Now,  however,  he  was  restricted  to 
the  midsummer  dulness  of  Albany  and  a  Cats- 
kill  hotel  where  Drew  paid  him  frequent  Sunday 
visits. 

"  I  am  the  slave  of  rules,"  he  complained 
whimsically.  "  I  run  upon  inflexible  schedule 
time.  My  hours  of  work,  what  I  shall  eat,  my 
cigars,  my  walks,  my  naps,  almost  the  thoughts  I 
think,  are  by  grace  of  his  High  Mightiness  the 
Doctor.  In  fact,  Philip,"  —  his  eye  lit  drolly, — 
"  I'm  actually  being  bossed." 


THE    MASTERY  113 

During  this  time  Drew  saw  not  a  little  of  the 
man  Maddox  whom  the  party  up  state  looked 
upon  with  mingled  fear  and  admiration.  He  was 
a  still  man,  ruggedly  blocked  out,  with  inscrutable, 
sad  eyes  and  a  deep,  gentle  voice.  By  common 
report  his  youth  had  been  violent.  Maddox  let 
common  report  blow  as  it  listed.  Whatever  his 
beginnings,  the  speaking  fact  now  obtained  that 
he  wore  the  surface  veneer  of  a  gentleman. 
Indeed,  he  was  even  reputed  to  patronize  grand 
opera.  As  the  resident  triumvir  he  was  much  at 
headquarters,  but  outside  his  own  field  he  gave 
no  unsolicited  advice.  He  was  a  close  listener, 
nevertheless,  as  he  sat  wreathing  his  head  in  the 
smoke  of  a  never  absent  cigar,  and  Drew  dis 
cerned  that  he  personally  was  being  weighed  and 
assayed,  though  by  what  standards  he  could  not 
guess. 

Whatever  Maddox's  reticence  regarding  the 
campaign  in  general,  he  spared  no  pains  to  bring 
out  the  full  party  vote  within  his  own  domain. 
It  was  his  hobby,  his  fetich,  the  token  of  his  fit 
ness  to  rule  his  half-feudal  clan.  As  one  means 
toward  this  end,  at  the  close  of  the  canvass  he 
planned  a  vast  mass-meeting  whose  list  of 
speakers  he  set  in  order  with  Drew's  aid. 

"  Redfern   will  be  free   for    that  date,   I   see," 


n4  THE    MASTERY 

he  remarked,  scanning  a  memorandum  of  the 
leading  campaigners'  engagements.  "  We'll  wire 
him  at  once.  Then  there's  Wentworth  to  be 
coaxed." 

"  He  grows  more  and  more  averse  to  the 
stump,"  Drew  answered.  "  I  sounded  him  at 
the  convention.  National  questions  absorb  him." 

Maddox  freed  a  gust  of  smoke  and  an  aphorism. 

"  The  man  with  his  head  in  the  clouds  can't 
always  have  asphalt  under  foot,"  he  averred.  "  I 
fail  to  see  anybody  whose  stake  is  bigger  than 
Wentworth's  this  fall.  I'll  talk  to  him  myself." 

What  passed  between  the  triumvirs  Drew 
could  only  conjecture,  but  the  upshot  of  Maddox's 
persuasions  was  the  blazoning  of  Wentworth's 
conjuring  name  upon  the  posters. 

Drew  had  not  thought  to  go.  He  avoided 
rallies  in  general,  and  saw  no  reason  why  he  should 
make  an  exception  of  Maddox's,  until  at  the  elev 
enth  hour  he  overheard  that  special  balcony  seats 
had  been  set  aside  for  a  party  of  ladies  which 
would  include  the  daughter  of  Senator  Went 
worth.  He  had  not  met  Katherine  since  their 
memorable  week  as  fellow-voyagers.  At  first  it 
had  seemed  to  him  pure  chance,  and  he  had  trifled 
with  the  notion  of  a  second  invitation  to  "  The 
Beeches  "  with  Dick.  Time  slew  that  delusion. 


THE   MASTERY  115 

Neither  was  Harris  bidden  by  himself,  an  omis 
sion  which  apparently  cost  him  no  pangs.  That 
Dick  was  welding  the  fragments  of  his  broken 
heart  in  the  flame  of  another  attachment  had 
crossed  even  the  mind  of  his  uncle  whose  ideas 
of  constancy  were  perhaps  quixotic.  Sympathetic 
references  to  social  settlement  work  recurred 
frequently  in  the  editorial  columns  of  the  Post- 
Messenger.  But  Drew  got  small  comfort  from 
the  discovery  that  he  need  no  longer  scruple  over 
Dick's  happiness.  Had  not  Katherine  herself 
raised  the  great  barrier  ?  She  had  understood 
that  night.  She  had  avoided  him  afterward.  For 
months  he  had  been  telling  himself  that  he  must 
lay  this  grim  lesson  resolutely  to  heart. 

Yet  to-night  the  mere  knowledge  of  her  near 
ness  had  stirred  him  poignantly.  Throughout 
the  dinner  hour  he  played  with  the  idea  of  seeing, 
perhaps  speaking  with  her  again,  and  later,  without 
mustering,  or  attempting  to  muster,  one  of  the 
rational  reasons  for  action  by  which  he  aimed  to 
rule  his  life,  he  betook  himself  to  the  huge  riding- 
academy  that  Maddox  had  rented  in  the  calm 
assurance  that  he  could  pack  it  to  the  doors. 

It  needed  but  a  glance  over  the  thousands 
who  shuffled  their  chilled  feet  in  the  tanbark  and 
watched  the  antics  of  a  jumping-jack  bandmaster 


n6  THE    MASTERY 

making  sure  his  next  summer's  tenure  in  the  city 
parks,  to  perceive  that  the  leader  had  not  reck 
oned  without  his  host.  It  was  a  big  meeting 
with  big  possibilities,  and  the  press  tables  had  no 
vacant  seats.  The  governor  of  the  state  spoke 
first  and  ill.  He  was  an  official  whom  Spedding 
had  privately  hit  off  as  "  healthy,  wealthy,  and  not 
too  distressingly  wise,  in  a  word,  safe."  This 
was  prior  to  inauguration.  Spedding  would  now 
qualify  the  characterization,  and  rumor  was  busy 
with  the  name  of  the  governor's  probable  suc 
cessor,  who  nobody  made  the  mistake  of  thinking 
would  be  the  governor  himself.  Maddox  had 
sandwiched  him  into  his  programme  as  a  glit 
tering  bit  of  padding,  and  as  such  the  crowd 
accepted  him,  listening  with  patience,  sighing  its 
relief  at  his  sitting  down,  and  perfunctorily  ap 
plauding  his  office.  A  moment  later  it  roared  a 
tremendous  welcome  at  Wentworth  whose  quaint 
figure,  rarely  seen  outside  the  Senate  Chamber  at 
Washington,  now  towered  erect  as  a  pine  tree 
beside  the  chairman's  flag-draped  desk. 

It  was  a  spontaneous  tribute  from  the  average 
man  to  brains,  preeminence ;  to  Wentworth  as 
one  of  the  noble  line  of  constitutional  interpreters  ; 
to  Wentworth  as  a  link  binding  the  present  with 
an  already  shadowy  past.  Drew  bent  forward  to 


THE    MASTERY  117 

watch.  It  was  something  out  of  the  ordinary. 
He  rejoiced  that  Katherine  was  there  to  see  her 
father's  triumph.  He  tried  vainly  to  identify 
her. 

The  old  man  was  touched  by  his  welcome,  and 
acknowledged  it  happily.  The  vast  audience  set 
tled  itself  to  listen  and  fairly  radiated  its  content. 
A  little  pause  ensued  while  Wentworth  fumbled 
from  pocket  to  pocket  for  a  thin  packet  of  manu 
script  which  he  finally  ransacked  from  the  lining 
of  his  silk  hat.  A  woman's  titter  broke  upon 
the  hush  with  the  abruptness  of  a  shot,  and  set 
in  motion  a  general  rustle  from  rostrum  to  gal 
leries.  With  dismay  Drew  perceived  that  Went 
worth  had  let  his  great  moment  go  by.  A 
younger  Wentworth  would  have  cast  manuscript 
to  the  winds  at  such  a  welcome ;  the  Wentworth 
of  three  score  and  ten  pottered  with  spectacles 
and  paging  and  lights,  till  men  forgot  his  career 
to  wonder  at  the  antiquity  of  his  collar  and 
cravat. 

Thenceforward  all  was  dismal.  Coerced  to  an 
irksome  task,  the  senator  had  drafted  a  labored 
speech,  which  apparently  he  had  had  the  patience 
neither  to  assimilate  nor  even  reread.  However 
it  might  look  in  to-morrow's  type,  it  was  unspeak 
ably  tedious  to  hear,  and  with  sinking  heart  Drew 


u8  THE    MASTERY 

beheld  an  audience,  primed  for  hero-worship,  yawn 
its  justifiable  boredom.  He  sat  with  bowed  head, 
tortured  afresh  by  each  fresh  mishap  of  manner 
or  text,  his  every  nerve  imploring  the  misguided 
veteran  to  have  done ;  yet  when  the  end  did  mer 
cifully  come,  the  grudging  applause  stung  him 
like  sleet.  In  the  deeps  of  his  vicarious  humilia 
tion  he  caught  nothing  of  the  chairman's  intro 
duction  of  the  next  speaker  save  the  words  "  the 
discourager  of  apathy  "  ;  and  they  conveyed  no 
meaning  till,  in  common  with  every  person  in 
that  crowded  building,  he  straightened  in  his  chair 
at  the  trump  of  Redfern's  mighty  voice. 

Redfern  the  Magnificent  —  the  Firebrand  — 
saw  his  chance  and  fastened  upon  it.  He  had 
no  such  welcome  as  Wentworth's,  but  with  his 
grandiose  figure  and  a  voice  which  carried  to  the 
very  newsboys  in  the  street,  he  gained  instantly 
the  hearing  which  the  senator  had  possessed  but 
to  fritter  away,  and  he  kept  it  to  the  end.  Morti 
fied  by  Wentworth's  failure,  hostile  to  the  speaker 
by  every  instinct,  Drew  could  not  with  candor 
deny  that  the  man  rose  to  the  level  of  his  oppor 
tunity.  He  anticipated  the  serio-comic  claptrap 
which  does  duty  with  nine  spellbinders  out  often  ; 
he  listened  to  a  bit  of  special  pleading  in  behalf 
of  a  political  party,  whose  match  for  cleverness  he 


THE    MASTERY  119 

could  not  recall.  Humor,  pathos,  sarcasm,  invec 
tive, —  every  stop  of  the  inexplicable  gift  of  oratory 
was  made  to  contribute  to  the  ordered  march  of 
Redfern's  historic  review,  which  in  its  final  eulogy 
of  the  party's  worthies,  not  omitting  Wentworth 
himself,  seemed  fairly  to  master  and  transcend 
the  man.  It  was  an  extraordinary  achievement, 
Gallic  perhaps  in  manner,  if  a  single  word  will 
express  it,  Gallic  certainly  in  its  effect  upon  an 
audience  by  no  means  hidebound  in  partisan 
ship,  which  it  brought  frantically  cheering  to 
its  feet. 

Drew  left  the  building  without  attempting  to 
see  Katherine.  He  painted  and  shared  her  heart- 
sickness  too  vividly  to  face  her  then.  A  vague 
plan  of  calling  at  her  hotel  in  the  morning  was 
frustrated  when  morning  came  by  an  incident 
which  he  knew  must  bruise  the  aching  wound 
in  her  pride  afresh.  A  newspaper,  commonly 
held  to  reflect  Maddox's  personal  views,  drew 
an  editorial  moral  from  the  night's  happen 
ings  in  their  relation  to  the  senatorship,  which 
ended  with  the  pointed  inquiry,  "  Why  not 
Redfern  ? " 

Luckily  it  proved  a  short-lived  sensation,  pro 
vocative  of  bar-room  and  street-corner  gossip 
mainly,  and  neglected  altogether  by  the  leading 


120  THE    MASTERY 

newspapers.  If,  when  the  campaign  closed  with 
Drew's  management  approved  by  a  lift  in  off-year 
returns,  Redfern  loomed  a  more  considerable  fig 
ure,  Wentworth  to  all  appearances  was  a  popular 
idol  still. 

Drew  welcomed  the  preelection  lull  and  plunged 
eagerly  into  the  current  of  his  personal  affairs. 
He  had  by  now  struck  a  fast  alliance  with  the 
sharp-witted  syndicate  of  New  Yorkers,  and  was 
a  prime  mover  of  a  scheme  to  merge  the  entire 
"  Valley  "  system  with  a  network  of  railroad,  gas, 
and  electric  power  companies  which  should  ramify 
a  large  section  of  the  state.  Its  details  appealed 
strongly  to  his  intellect,  mere  money-spinning 
though  Spedding  might  dub  it.  He  was  not  so 
certain  as  Spedding  that  politics  was  the  game  of 
games ;  not  so  smitten  with  his  few  months  near 
the  throttle  of  the  machine  that  he  looked  with 
zest  to  succeeding  as  state  chairman. 

Nor  did  Spedding' s  physical  condition  bespeak 
his  help  so  eloquently.  The  regimen,  plus  Drew, 
had  worked  a  seeming  miracle.  The  body  rallied 
under  the  exercise  to  which  it  had  long  been  a 
stranger,  the  jaded  brain  drowsed  and  freshened 
in  hours  of  unwonted  rest.  Indeed,  the  Septem 
ber  convention  had  seen  him  merely  a  little  grayer, 
a  little  thinner,  but  in  all  else  apparently  the 


THE    MASTERY  121 

resourceful,  brilliant  leader  of  old.  While  it  was 
transparent  to  Drew  that  for  those  brief  Saratoga 
days  Spedding  had  assumed  a  vigor  he  did  not 
feel,  even  he  had  faith  in  the  access  of  energy 
which  the  veteran  took  on  in  the  bracing  coolness 
of  the  autumn.  With  Spedding  on  the  mend 
and  the  great  merger  absorbingly  near  success, 
Drew  easily  elbowed  politics  to  a  far  corner  of  his 
mind.  Coveting  no  office,  amply  clothed  with 
power  of  another  kind,  by  no  means  bankrupt 
of  intellectual  interests  for  his  leisure  hours,  he 
lacked  the  shrewdly  personal  spur  of  one  sort  or 
another  —  a  means  of  livelihood,  a  wife's  ambi 
tion,  what  not  —  which  yokes  the  politician  to  his 
often  distasteful  task.  This,  then,  was  his  frame 
of  mind  when  he  received  an  enigmatic  call  to 
Washington.  Wentworth  wrote  that  he  had  a 
personal  matter  to  broach,  and  would  Drew  do 
him  the  honor  to  become  his  guest  ? 

It  was  yet  some  hours  before  dinner  for  which 
he  had  specified  that  they  might  count  on  him, 
when  Drew  arrived  in  Washington,  and  despatch 
ing  his  bag  to  the  "  Arlington,"  where  Wentworth 
now  made  his  home,  he  mingled  with  the  queer 
composite  of  national  life  which  ebbs  and  flows 
through  Pennsylvania  Avenue  from  White  House 
to  Capitol.  The  Senate  flag  drooped  lazily  at  its 


122  THE    MASTERY 

staff,  and  if  Wentworth  were  disengaged,  their 
main  business  might  be  disposed  of  at  once. 

But  in  the  public  reception  room  an  official  told 
him  that  the  senator  was  greatly  occupied. 

"  Engaged  ?  "  laughed  the  man.  "  I  should 
think  so.  You've  only  just  missed  seeing  him 
with  all  his  guns  in  action.  In  fact,  he's  firing 
occasionally  still." 

Drew  took  the  elevator  to  the  gallery  and  pos 
sessed  himself  of  a  just  vacated  seat  behind  the 
rail.  He  always  found  the  simple  chamber  which 
houses  the  United  States  Senate  impressive  and 
took  a  certain  pleasure  in  surrendering  himself  to 
its  atmosphere.  Howsoever  they  had  come  by 
their  credentials,  these  keen  lawyerlike  men  here 
gathered  were  peculiarly  a  picked  body,  the  sur 
vival  of  the  fittest  in  the  working  out  of  a  law  of 
natural  selection,  the  embodied  dignity  of  over 
two  score  sovereign  states.  Even  as  set  forth  in 
the  irreverent  vernacular  of  a  compatriot  at  elbow, 
the  beadroll  of  the  commonwealths  was  a  sono 
rous  thing. 

"  That's  Vermont's  senior  senator  talking  to 
the  new  man  from  Colorado,"  he  was  whispering 
hoarsely  to  a  companion  whose  head  bent  with  his 
own  over  a  diagram  of  the  floor.  "  Those  are 
Massachusetts  people  just  behind  on  the  Repub- 


THE    MASTERY  123 

lican  side.  The  old  Bay  State  always  sends  brains. 
Iowa  ?  Yes,  that  chap's  from  Iowa.  Long  ser 
vice  ?  Yes,  he'll  hold  the  job  till  he  dies,  I  guess. 
What  say  ?  Which  ?  With  white  whiskers  ? 
Oh,  he's  from  Nevada.  Yes,  he  does  look  like 
Father  Time.  All  he  needs  is  the  hour-glass  and 
scythe.  He's  buttonholing  a  Kentuckian.  Old 
Confederate  soldier,  that  man.  Fought  all 
through  the  muss.  Next  desk  over  sits  one  of 
California's  mining  kings.  On  that  second  sofa 
just  below  you'll  see  the  junior  cowboy  from 
Texas  swapping  yarns  with  Virginia  and  Maine. 
Notice  that  gray-headed  old  Roman  down  there 
in  the  king  row  ?  No,  not  the  man  with  the 
bandanna.  Two  seats  over,  I  mean.  Yes,  the  one 
with  the  Henry  Clay  necktie.  Well,  that's 
Wentworth  of  New  York!  He  took  a  fall  out 
of  one  of  the  South  Carolina  people  a  little  while 
ago.  Gee,  what  a  memory  he's  got !  Regular 
walking  edition  of  the  Congressional  Record. 
He's  been  in  politics  on  and  off  since  the  Mexican 
War,  they  say.  S-sh  !  He's  going  to  speak." 

With  the  same  thrill  he  had  experienced  when 
Wentworth  came  before  Maddox's  unlucky 
meeting,  Drew  saw  him  claim  and  obtain  the 
Vice  President's  recognition  of  "  the  Senator 
from  New  York "  ;  but  now  there  followed  no 


124  THE    MASTERY 

bitter  moment  of  disappointment.  An  echo 
merely  of  the  earlier  battle,  he  could  yet  deduce 
the  quality  of  the  whole.  It  was  obviously  one 
of  the  half  sectional  clashes  over  the  currency 
which  have  fretted  the  temper  of  the  Congresses 
of  three  decades,  and  the  aggressor  was  a  South 
erner,  rash,  cocksure,  fatally  fluent.  His  speech 
was  intemperate,  "crime,"  "tyranny,"  "perfidy," 
and  the  like  being  his  catch-words ;  his  skin 
flamed  with  his  vehemence ;  he  sank  in  his  seat 
with  clothing  awry. 

"  During  the  year  which  the  Senator  from 
South  Carolina  is  pleased  to  term  a  saturnalia 
of  fiscal  crime,  I  had  the  honor,  sir,  to  be  Secre 
tary  of  the  Treasury." 

With  this  preface  began  the  even  flow  of 
Wentworth's  reply.  From  the  vast  storehouse 
of  his  memory  he  set  in  order  the  garbled  and 
distorted  facts,  marshalling  without  a  note  the 
most  intricate  statistics  of  finance,  all  in  a  dis 
passionate  composure  worthy  of  the  Muse  of 
History  herself.  It  was  a  trenchant  rejoinder, 
convincing  as  sunlight,  impersonal  as  an  act  of 
Nature.  Voice,  gesture,  everything,  accorded 
with  the  Senate's  best  traditions. 

Drew  revelled  in  the  subdued  approval  of  the 
galleries  and  the  significant  smiles  of  Wentworth's 


THE    MASTERY  125 

fellows.  The  veteran  was  fit  for  hero-worship 
after  all.  Here  was  the  answer  to  Maddox's 
"  Why  not  Redfern  ?  "  Here,  as  a  parliamenta 
rian,  should  Wentworth  be  judged  !  Here  where 
among  eminence  he  shone  preeminent ! 


CHAPTER   XI 

DESCENDING  to  the  entrance  of  the  lobby, 
Drew  sent  in  his  card  and  was  ushered  into  the 
Marble  Room  to  await  Wentworth's  coming.  It 
was  growing  dark  and  the  famous  chamber  was 
flooded  with  artificial  light  which  glistened  in  a 
thousand  refractions  from  pillar  and  mirror  and 
panelled  wall.  Sofas,  corners,  window-nooks, 
held  the  inevitable  sprinkling  of  the  anxious  — 
the  soldier's  widow,  the  office-hunter,  the  man 
with  a  claim ;  but  these  potentialities  of  misery 
through  hope  deferred,  tragically  characteristic  as 
they  were,  just  now  failed  to  strike  the  dominant 
note.  After  its  sedate  fashion  the  room  was 
undeniably  gay,  and  Drew  promptly  traced  its 
source  to  a  senator  famous  as  a  raconteur,  now 
scintillating  in  the  midst  of  a  group  of  pretty 
girls  piloted  over  from  the  House  by  a  young 
millionnaire  clubman  who  had  run  for  Congress 
as  a  species  of  untried  lark. 

"  Now  if  ladies  were  eligible,"  the  wit  was 
proclaiming,  "  that  suggestion  about  senatorial 
togas  —  " 

126 


THE    MASTERY  127 

"  For  fifteen  years  I  have  struggled,  mortgag 
ing  the  little  farm  my  husband  left  —  " 

Fragments  of  chaff  and  heartbreak,  grotesquely 
intermingled,  reached  Drew  from  either  side  of 
the  white  column  where  he  had  taken  his  stand. 
Then,  at  a  murmured  word  from  the  clubman, 
the  debonair  bevy  was  stirred  by  a  flutter  of 
curiosity,  and  half  a  dozen  pairs  of  feminine  eyes 
forsook  the  jester  to  focus  at  the  room's  far  end. 
Equipped  for  outdoors  in  one  of  the  obsolete 
garments  which  kept  Talma's  name  in  current 
speech  long  after  men  forgot  his  acting,  Went- 
worth  hesitated  at  the  entrance  in  near-sighted 
helplessness  till  Drew  went  to  his  rescue. 

"  This  is  a  friendly  service,"  he  greeted  the 
younger  man,  shaking  hands.  "  I  could  not  well 
leave  Washington  just  now,  and  Spedding,  poor 
fellow,  can't  post  here  to  me  as  once.  You,  sir, 
are  the  fortunate  via  media." 

Drew  bowed  ceremoniously.  Like  most  per 
sons  he  found  the  quaint  formality  of  Went- 
worth's  manner  slightly  contagious. 

"  I  am  doubly  honored,  senator,"  said  he. 

"  What  say  you  to  a  half-hour  walk  at  an  old 
man's  pace  ?  I  don't  ride  home  unless  I  must." 

Drew  fell  in  with  the  suggestion  and  they 
passed  out  by  way  of  the  public  corridors  and 


128  THE    MASTERY 

the  rotunda  to  an  upper  terrace  where  by  a  com 
mon  impulse  they  paused.  The  sky  was  painted 
with  an  afterglow  which  gradated  from  a  fiery 
crimson,  edging  the  Virginia  hills,  through  vast 
waves  of  orange  and  purple  to  a  zenith  of  soft 
lilac  and  sapphire.  The  nearer  atmosphere 
seemed  filled  with  floating  particles  of  gold ; 
the  shaft  of  the  Obelisk,  the  city's  roofs  and 
spires,  the  chance  greenness  of  ivy  and  laurel, 
the  pavement  under  foot,  were  each  and  all 
bathed  and  sublimated  in  the  golden  shower  for 
which  the  senator  fetched  from  his  beloved 
classics  its  easy  parallel. 

"  But  to  our  affair,"  Wentworth  said,  rousing 
as  they  struck  beneath  the  leprous  buttonwoods 
which  arched  the  walk  to  the  bustling  avenue 
beyond.  "  Your  loyalty  was  long  ago  approved. 
This  journey,  snatched  from  your  busy  life, 
strengthens  the  covenant." 

"  Command  me." 

"  In  all  frankness  I  shall.  I  want  a  plain 
answer  to  a  plain  question.  Tell  me  without 
reservation,  should  I  retire  ?  " 

"  Retire  !  " 

"  Should  I  make  way  for  a  younger  man  ?  I 
entreat  your  disinterested  judgment.  I  cannot 
trust  my  own  in  this.  I  am  sensible  that  in 


THE    iMASTERY  129 

some  ways  I  grow  old-fashioned,  perhaps  old- 
fogyish.  The  press,  my  fellow-senators,  my 
devoted  daughter,  all  in  one  way  or  another 
bring  it  home  to  me.  Then,  at  that  meeting  in 
New  York,  I  saw  —  " 

"  You  saw  a  demagogue  strum  his  pinchbeck 
instrument,"  Drew  interposed.  "  That's  not 
your  forte,  thank  heaven ! " 

The  slow  flush  of  old  age  glowed  in  Went- 
worth's  cheek. 

"  You're  very  good,"  he  acknowledged  ;  "  very 
loyal." 

"  I  am  frank." 

"  But  are  you  ?  "  Wentworth  persisted  wist 
fully.  "  Is  it  my  forte  that  people  want  nowa 
days  ?  I  am  indeed  out  of  step  with  many 
present  tendencies,  a  conservative  among  radicals. 
Moral  and  material  values  alike  seem  to  have 
shifted ;  the  nation's  business  has  grown  more 
and  more  complex.  We  old  men  are  not  adapt 
able  —  Spedding  is  an  exception ;  we  nod,  we 
drowse  —  " 

Drew  broke  into  a  laugh. 

"  I  saw  you  drowse  in  the  Senate  this  after 
noon." 

Wentworth  beamed  his  gratitude. 

"  You're  very  loyal,"  he  repeated, 
K 


130  THE    MASTERY 

At  this  stage  a  familiar  hail,  which  Drew  iden 
tified  as  Rear  Admiral  Austin's,  curtailed  Went- 
worth's  confidences. 

"I've  tried  to  overhaul  you,  John,  ever  since 
you  doubled  the  Peace  Monument,"  he  addressed 
his  brother-in-law,  puffing  from  the  chase.  "  How 
are  you,  Mr.  Drew  ?  You've  gone  actively  into 
history  making,  I  see,  since  we  crossed  from 
Southampton.  Now  when  you  make  congress 
men,  why  don't  you  inoculate  them  against  the 
malignant  plague  of  swelled  head  ?  I've  been 
talking  plain  United  States  to  a  committee  on 
naval  affairs  this  afternoon,  and  of  all  the  short 
sighted  barnacles  —  " 

They  fell  into  step  together  and  the  talk, 
ignited  by  a  chance  question  of  Drew's,  became  a 
spontaneous  cross-fire  of  anecdote  and  reminis 
cence  between  the  kinsmen.  It  was  the  best  of 
talk,  ranging  the  Washington  of  four  decades, 
and  the  listener  saw  it  end  at  the  entrance  of  the 
"  Arlington  "  with  keen  regret. 

"Jove!  how  I've  cackled,"  Austin  broke  off. 
"  Here  I  am  three  squares  past  my  turn.  Good 
night,  John,  you  garrulous  ancient.  Drew,  I 
want  you  to  meet  some  fellows  at  the  Army  arid 
Navy  Club  if  you  sleep  another  night  in  Wash 
ington.  So  long." 


THE    MASTERY  131 

Wentworth  paused  to  watch  the  admiral  swing 
down  the  street. 

"  It's  absurd  to  shelve  a  man  like  Austin,"  he 
said.  "  Why,  he'll  never  grow  old  !  "  Turning 
to  Drew,  he  apologized  that  he  possessed  no  roof 
of  his  own  for  his  guests'  entertainment.  "  I 
sold  my  K  Street  house  at  Mrs.  Wentworth's 
death,"  he  explained.  "  We  found  it  lonely,  my 
little  girl  and  I.  But  now  her  aunt  says  a  hotel 
is  no  place  for  Katherine.  I  dare  say  it's  true. 
She  shall  have  a  house  of  her  own  another  season 
—  if  I  return." 

"Still  'if'?"  Drew  caught  him  up.  "But 
we'll  go  into  that  again  later." 

"  Yes,  later,"  agreed  the  senator.  "  You  will 
want  to  dress  for  dinner  now.  Katherine  has  a 
friend  stopping  with  her,  by  the  way,  —  a  Miss 
Reeves  of  New  York." 

"  Miss  Harriet  Reeves  ?  " 

"  You  know  her  then  ? "  Wentworth  com 
mented  absently. 

Drew  said  gravely  that  he  did.  Truly  Went 
worth  was  no  politician  ! 

As  Drew  joined  them  the  two  girls  stood  with 
arms  intertwined,  each  of  her  type  beautiful. 
Drew  really  saw  but  one  of  them.  It  was  as  a 
foil  merely  that  he  apprehended  Harriet  Reeves, 


132  THE    MASTERY 

a  comely  maid  of  honor  to  a  regal  Katherine 
whom  he  knew  and  yet  knew  not.  The  pre 
cocious  Katherine  of  "  The  Beeches,"  the  modish 
Katherine  of  the  chance  encounter  in  New  York, 
the  expanding  Katherine  of  the  liner,  one  and  all 
figured  in  his  recollections  as  something  distinc 
tively  girlish.  But  here,  with  dark  hair  piled 
high,  her  white  throat  girt  with  pearls,  her  rounded 
form  clothed  in  some  creamy  fabric  which  clung 
in  soft  folds  as  she  moved,  in  full  panoply  of 
sex,  was  a  ripened  Katherine  splendid  beyond 
vain  imagining. 

There  were  other  revelations. 

"  I  really  named  the  consul  to  Barcelona,"  he 
overheard  her  say  to  Wentworth  as  they  entered 
the  dining  room.  "  If  I  hadn't  mentioned  to 
the  President  that  his  wife's  favorite  novelist 
wanted  just  such  a  chance,  the  place  would  have 
gone  to  a  nobody  from  Nebraska." 

If  they  were  foils  in  externals,  so  were  Kathe 
rine  and  Harriet  sufficiently  unlike  in  mind  to 
give  their  friendship  savor,  and  the  drolleries 
which  between  them  they  now  struck  from  the 
day's  news,  the  last  book,  the  theatre,  or  a  bit  of 
the  iconoclastic  gossip  of  those  in  high  places 
that  Washington  loves,  ended  by  putting  Drew 
upon  his  mettle  and  in  luring  Wentworth  from 


THE    MASTERY  133 

his  formality.  Drew  marvelled  to  see  the  whole 
man  freshened,  rejuvenated,  brought  down  to 
date ;  to  hear  him  even  turn  a  phrase  of  current 
slang.  Then,  with  a  flash  of  divination,  he  read 
in  this  simple  magic  Katherine's  studied  purpose. 
She  would  before  him  prove  her  father  no  dotard. 

As  they  left  the  table  they  were  momentarily 
thrown  together. 

"  You  are  changed,"  he  said  ;  "  disconcertingly 
changed." 

"  And  you  also." 

"  I  ? " 

"  Indeed  you.  If  not  disconcertingly,"  —  she 
dramatized  his  inflection  smilingly,  — "  at  all 
events  visibly." 

"  Older,  you  mean  ?  I  dare  say  it's  time  for 
crow's-feet." 

"  Not  that."  Her  gray  eyes  ridiculed  the 
notion.  "It's  a  new  expression  in  your  face  — 
a  consciousness  of  power." 

From  an  older  woman  it  might  have  fallen 
unremarked.  But  from  her  !  Did  she  seize  by 
intuition  what  others  mined  in  slow  experience  ? 
How  many  Katherines  were  there  to  know  ? 
Presently  he  saw  her  the  vivacious  centre  of  a 
circle  overwhelmingly  masculine  and  in  most  part 
white-polled.  Many  of  these  men  obviously 


134  THE    MASTERY 

were  old  friends  of  her  father's  to  whom  she  was 
"  Katherine  "  and  "  Katrina,"  but  as  plainly  they 
accepted  her  upon  her  own  merits.  She  was  a 
definite  personality  with  a  definite  force.  Drew 
flattered  himself  that  he  had  found  her  keynote. 
She  had  spoken  of  power  and  its  signs  as  a  thing 
known. 

"  Two  senators,  a  member  of  the  cabinet,  the 
Speaker  —  who  are  her  other  satellites?"  he 
asked  Harriet,  with  whom  the  regroupings  over 
coffee  and  cigars  had  left  him  in  a  quiet  corner 
of  the  palm  room. 

"  An  English  M.P.  discovering  America,  a 
foreign  correspondent,  two  mere  men,  and  some 
envious  women,"  she  inventoried.  "  Katherine 
usually  turns  this  into  a  Court  of  Lions." 

The  music,  the  exotic  plants,  the  tinted  lights, 
the  well-groomed  prosperity  of  it  all,  lent  the 
court  figure  a  scenic  aptness,  while  just  then, 
answering  some  challenge  apparently,  Katherine 
fashioned  a  boutonniere  from  a  handful  of  violets 
which  she  chose  from  a  larger  bunch  in  her 
corsage,  and  with  a  royal  graciousness  bedecked 
the  broad-chested  Speaker's  lapel. 

"  She  finds  lion-taming  exhilarating,"  Drew 
laughed.  "  Watch  her  color  come  and  go." 

Harriet's  loyalty  was  instantly  up  in  arms. 


THE    MASTERY  135 

"She's just  as  charming  to  nobodies." 

"  Oh,  but  she's  human,  remember,"  Drew 
teased. 

"  All  the  same  it's  true.  At  school  I  used 
to  fancy  that  even  the  Sisters  had  their  little 
jealousies  because  of  it.  She's  everybody's 
Katherine." 

The  phrase  jarred  upon  him. 

"  She  shouldn't  be  everybody's,"  he  declared 
with  uncalled-for  emphasis. 

"  Somebody's  ?  " 

Harriet  Reeves,  studying  Drew's  profile,  smiled 
demurely,  was  caught  at  it,  and  flushed  deli- 
ciously. 

Drew  asked  himself  what  the  minx  meant  by 
that. 

"  The  fact  is,"  he  said,  "  her  aunt  is  right. 
This  isn't  a  wholesome  atmosphere." 

The  group  about  Katherine  scattered  as  its 
magnet  issued.  Wentworth  fell  into  a  discus 
sion  with  the  Englishman.  The  girl  herself 
came  directly  to  Drew's  corner. 

"  Have  you  sent  the  celebrities  about  their 
business,  Lady  Blessington  ? "  he  asked. 

*'  It  looks  cosier  here." 

Drew  chose  a  place  for  her  chair  shut  off  by 
furniture  and  palms. 


136  THE    MASTERY 

"  A  barricade  against  another  mob,"  he  ex 
plained. 

With  a  murmured  excuse  Harriet  presently 
left  them  to  themselves.  Katherine  met  Drew's 
eyes. 

"  I  wanted  to  talk  to  you,"  she  stated  frankly, 
with  one  of  her  lovely  color  changes.  "In  fact 
I'm  responsible  for  your  being  here  to-night." 

For  an  instant  the  whole  room  —  palms,  lights, 
orchestra,  people,  the  woman  he  loved  —  seemed 
to  the  man  to  pirouette  in  a  giddy  dance.  Kath 
erine  had  prompted  Wentworth's  summons  !  She 
had  called  him  back ! 


CHAPTER   XII 

HE  pulled  himself  together  at  the  sound  of  her 
voice. 

"  It  is  a  great  presumption,"  she  was  saying, 
"  but  I  am  horribly  anxious  about  father.  I  need 
help  —  the  help  of  a  friend." 

"You  did  right  to  call  upon  me.  I  am  —  a 
friend." 

"  You  are  indeed,  and,  better  still,  a  clear-sighted 
friend.  Ah,  you  are  clear-sighted  !  I  saw  that  in 
my  girl's  foolishness  when  you  first  came  to  us  at 
c  The  Beeches.'  It  grew  upon  me  as  I  followed 
what  you  were  doing  in  the  world  —  whenever  we 
met  —  in  New  York  —  on  the  steamer." 

Drew  winced.  He  clear-sighted  !  But  a  mo 
ment  ago  he  had  had  the  besotted  stupidity  to 
mistake  a  daughter's  filial  devotion  for  an  encour 
agement  of  his  suit. 

"You  overrate  me,"  he  said  soberly.  "I  am 
incredibly  dull  over  some  of  life's  simplest  things. 
But  whatever  I  am  not,  at  least  believe  me  a  sin 
cere  well-wisher  of  the  senator's." 

"Ah,  you  do  care  for  him!"  she  exclaimed, 
137 


138  THE    MASTERY 

her  face  lighting.  "  I  know  that.  That  is  why 
I  dared  presume.  And  he  likes  you.  He  spoke 
of  it  to-night.  I  don't  know  what  you  said  to  him, 
but  you  did  him  good.  He  spoke  of  retiring,  of 
course  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  you  laughed  at  him  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Because  you  honestly  believe  he  should  con 
tinue  ?" 

"Yes." 

She  caught  and  pressed  his  hand  impulsively. 

"  I  knew  I  could  trust  you,"  she  exulted.  "  I 
was  sure,  so  sure." 

Drew  groped  for  his  surety.  Where  was  his 
trust  in  Philip  Drew  ?  He  had  thrilled  to  her 
touch  like  a  callow  boy.  The  old  sweet  bondage 
possessed  him,  its  beguiling  folly  increased  a  thou 
sand  fold.  How  bleak,  how  unprofitable  the  life 
he  led  !  How  rich  it  might  be  !  The  adorable 
mirage  of  a  home  which  Katherine  should  grace 
built  itself  anew.  The  ghosts  of  fancies  he  had 
slain  trooped  forth  to  plague  him.  He  had 
bruisedj  not  eradicated,  his  love.  He  could  not 
root  it  out.  He  would  not  if  he  could. 

But  how  far  from  his  passion  was  Katherine's  ! 

"  Who   could   doubt   your   loyalty  ? "  she  was 


THE    MASTERY  139 

saying.  "  You  proved  it  in  the  national  conven 
tion  over  seven  years  ago.  If  all  New  York's 
delegation  had  been  as  stanch,  my  father  would 
have  been  nominated." 

"And  if  nominated,  elected,"  he  added,  com 
pelling  his  mind  to  Wentworth's  lost  opportunity. 
"  He  should  have  been  President." 

"  He  should,  he  should,"  she  repeated  after 
him  in  low-voiced  intensity.  "  The  country 
wanted  him ;  the  convention  ought  to  have 
wanted  him,  perhaps  did ;  it  could  have  been 
stampeded  by  the  turning  of  a  single  one  of  those 
votes  which  father  thought  he  could  not  in  honor 
take.  And  to  learn  too  late  that  he  might  have 
had  them  and  welcome !  Oh,  I've  gone  over  it 
again  and  again,"  she  said,  answering  his  won 
dering  look.  "  I  was  a  child  then,  alas  !  But 
I  know  the  story  as  well  as  if  I  were  a  man 
who  sat  there  in  the  crowded  wigwam  by  your 
side.  Father  never  speaks  of  it,  but  Mr.  Sped- 
ding  will  sometimes  talk.  He  owns  that  he  held 
his  hand  when  he  should  have  struck.  He  should 
have  acted  on  his  own  responsibility.  It  was  a 
time  to  be  bold  as  others  were  bold;  yes  —  at 
times  I  almost  think  it  —  unscrupulous  as  others 
were  unscrupulous." 

<c  It  was  one  of  Spedding's  rare  mistakes." 


THE    MASTERY 

"  And  his  lifelong  friend  the  sacrifice  !  " 

"  It  was  just  that  friendship  which  caused  his 
fatal  caution." 

"  I  know,  I  know.  To  remember  makes  it 
more  bitter  still.  Oh,  that  I  could  have  been 
a  woman  then  !  "  Her  voice,  vibrant  with  feel 
ing,  sank  perilously  near  a  sob.  "  I  would  have 
worked,  worked,  worked  !  " 

She  was  splendid  in  her  outbreak  of  passionate 
regret.  If  a  father  stirred  such  deeps,  what  a 
superb  spendthrift  of  her  heart's  coin  she  could 
be  as  wife  ! 

"  Weak,  womanish  —  say  it !  "  she  challenged, 
meeting  his  eyes  presently  with  a  teary  little 
laugh.  "  It's  the  present,  not  the  great  lost 
chance,  I  should  be  thinking  about ;  the  senator- 
ship,  not  the  presidency." 

"  The  senator  must  not  dream  of  stepping 
down." 

"  It  would  kill  him,"  she  flamed.  "  It  would 
kill  him.  Whatever  he  may  say  with  his  stout 
old  lips,  his  heart  would  break  if  the  state  took 
him  at  his  word.  He  shall  not  be  coerced  to 
this  hateful  thing." 

"  Who  speaks  of  coercion  ?  " 

"  No  one  speaks  of  it  —  yet.  But  it's  thought ! 
That  editorial  following  father's  unlucky  address 
—  Redfern  — " 


THE    MASTERY  141 

"  Sounding  brass,"  jeered  Drew,  with  a  hearten 
ing  laugh.  "  Trust  Spedding." 

"  I  do.      But  he  is  a  broken  man." 

"You  should  see  how  he  has  rallied." 

"  I  have  seen.  But  nevertheless  you  know  — 
oh,  he  knows,  brave  heart !  —  that  he  stands  in 
the  shadow  of  Death." 

"  An  attack  may  recur,"  Drew  conceded.  "  Yet 
again  it  may  be  years  hence." 

"  Or  to-morrow  !  " 

"  Yes,"  he  granted  reluctantly. 

"  Even  to-morrow  !  It  has  been  a  beautiful 
thing  —  their  friendship:  Mr.  Spedding,  the  prac 
tical  politician,  with  his  sure  grip  on  things  as 
they  are,  upholding  the  hands  of  my  father,  an 
idealist.  It  is  a  rare  thing,  I  suppose.  Father 
has  never  had  to  think  much  about  patronage, 
delegates,  deals,  and  the  petty,  wearing  details  of 
public  life.  His  mind  has  been  free  for  large 
affairs.  His  friend  was  on  guard.  While  Mr. 
Spedding  lives  —  and  reigns  —  this  will  continue. 
But  by  what  a  slender  thread  it  hangs  !  " 

"  Practical  appreciation  of  the  senator  isn't 
limijted  to  Spedding." 

"  Oh,  you  are  true  blue  ;  and  others  —  less 
powerful." 

The  word  "  power,"  it  struck  him,  ran  through 


THE    MASTERY 

all  the  fabric  of  her  thought  like  a  scarlet  strand ; 
like  a  recurring  resonant  note  in  the  oriental 
theme  the  orchestra  was  now  interpreting. 

"  A  friend  in  power,  that  is  the  safeguard,  —  a 
powerful,  unselfish  friend.  There  is  just  one  who 
could  help," — her  eyes  half-shyly  fathomed  his, 
—  "and  of  him  I  am  not  —  quite  —  sure." 

His  nostrils  were  full  of  the  perfume  of  her 
violets,  which  henceforth  never  dissociated  itself 
from  her  personality.  It  was  an  inseparable  prop 
erty  of  the  woman  in  the  hour  of  her  greatest 
fascination. 

"Just  one?"  he  repeated  mechanically. 

"  You,"  —  it  came  almost  in  a  whisper,  —  "just 

» 
you. 

He  fetched  a  long  breath.  The  air  had  be 
come  singularly  rarefied. 

"  And  you're  not  sure  ?  " 

She  answered  with  a  question  :  — 

"  Do  you  mean  to  take  the  chairmanship  of  the 
state  committee  ?  " 

It  was  a  matter-of-fact  little  query,  and  the  sur 
charged  atmosphere  cleared. 

"  So  that's  your  doubt,"  he  smiled.  "  Where 
did  you  get  it  ?  Some  newspaper  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Not  from  Spedding  ?  " 


THE    MASTERY  143 

"  No." 

"  Nor  any  one  with  authority  to  speak  ? " 

"With  authority!"  Her  old  buoyant  laugh 
played  with  his  bewilderment.  "  The  best  of 
authority  —  yourself!  " 

"  Oh  !  intuition,  then  ?  " 

"You  speak  as  if  it  were  voodooism  or  table- 
tipping." 

"  I'm  not  scoffing.  I  trust  intuition  myself 
—  sometimes.  Besides,  you're  right." 

It  was  a  barren  victory. 

"I've  felt  it  ever  since  you  came,"  Katherine 
said  disconsolately. 

"My  changed  face  ?  "  he  laughed. 

"  Partly.  I  read  it  in  your  look  and  in  little 
things  you  drop  which  reveal  how  full,  how 
tremendously  full,  is  your  life.  I  know  some 
thing  of  what  Mr.  Spedding  hopes  of  you.  He 
talks  to  me  often  with  great  frankness.  But  I 
see,  as  I  think  he  does  not,  how  great  a  sacrifice 
he  asks.  You  don't  care  for  politics  for  its  own 
sake.  You  have  power  of  another  sort  and  his 
sort  doesn't  tempt." 

"  Puritan  Salem  would  have  tried  you  for  a 
witch." 

"  There's  no  black  art  about  it.  My  wits  have 
been  sharpened  on  my  fears.  The  Redfern  talk 


144  THE    MASTERY 

frightened  me  into  facing  the  future,  a  future  with 
out  Mr.  Spedding  to  make  smooth  the  way.  I 
began  to  see  then  that  the  future  with  him  isn't 
so  bright.  Unless  help  comes  things  may  be  left 
undone  which  ought  to  be  done  promptly  to 
insure  father's  reelection.  I  know  it's  true  that 
the  state  senators  just  elected  are  the  right  men. 
I  suppose  it's  certain  that  nothing  but  a  catas 
trophe  can  destroy  our  majority  on  joint  ballot. 
But  all  the  same  it  is  common  sense  that  the  next 
Legislature  should  be  made  sure  by  systematic 
work,  and  that  the  work  should  be  at  once  got 
under  way." 

"  It  is  you  who  should  be  Spedding's  helper." 

"  I'm  afraid  the  time's  not  ripe,"  she  smiled. 
"  Then,  you  see,  I  am  not  one  of  the  advanced 
women.  I  don't  want  to  vote.  My  interest  in 
politics  is  just  personal,  the  interest  of  any  woman 
who  follows  what  concerns  those  dear  to  her.  If 
my  father  were  a  clergyman,  I  dare  say  I  should 
be  absorbed  in  sewing  guilds  and  parish  gossip." 

"  And  in  love  with  the  curate  or  some  vestry 
man  ?" 

"  Does  that  follow  ?  I  am  not  in  love  with 
father's  secretary  or  some  politician." 

Drew  abandoned  that  line  of  inquiry,  and  at 
this  juncture  the  senator  detached  himself  from 


THE    MASTERY  145 

the  Member  of  Parliament,  and  in  his  serene, 
benignant  way  made  toward  them  in  a  sort  of 
royal  progress,  chatting  with  one  and  another 
who  accosted  him,  and  followed  by  half  the  eyes 
of  the  room.  Katherine  glowed  and  looked  to 
Drew  for  sympathy. 

"  Oh,  he  is  superb  !  "  he  said.  "  Nobody  since 
Webster  has  had  quite  that  physical  impact  upon 
people's  imaginations.  Does  he  see  the  matter 
of  his  reelection  in  the  same  light  that  you  do  ? " 

"  I've  spoken  of  it.  That  is  why  he's  staring 
so  persistently  at  the  bogy  of  old  age  which  he 
really  doesn't  believe  in  at  all.  He  is  really 
young,  not  because  like  ourselves  he  is  young  in 
years,  but  because  he  feels  young.  If  he  retired, 
he  would  feel  old  —  and  die." 

Young,  like  ourselves  !  That  naive  coupling  of 
their  personalities  turned  the  scale.  It  plucked 
out  the  barb  implanted  upon  the  liner.  He  had 
found  his  incentive,  his  compelling  motive,  his 
shrewdly  personal  spur. 

"  Let's  try  and  keep  him  young,"  said  the 
man.  "Young  —  like  ourselves." 

Katherine  caught  her  breath. 

"You  mean — "  she  faltered. 

"  I  will  take  the  chairmanship.  I  will  be  the 
senator's  field-marshal." 


146  THE    MASTERY 

She  questioned  him  silently  an  instant,  doubt 
ing  her  victory.  Then  her  eyes  dropped  and  he 
saw  that  her  lashes  were  wet. 

"  I  can't  thank  you  now,"  she  said  chokingly. 
"I  did  not  realize  you  cared  so  much." 

"  Care  !  " 

She  raised  her  eyes  at  his  stormy  response. 

"  But  he  is  worthy  of  your  devotion,"  she 
added  with  a  proud,  lift  of  the  head.  "  He  is 
worthy." 

This  time  Drew's  glance  fell. 

With  characteristic  detachment  Wentworth 
accepted  the  younger  man's  pledge  of  personal 
fealty  as  quite  in  the  natural  course  of  things 
for  a  forthcoming  state  chairman,  and,  without  a 
word  spoken,  Drew  and  Katherine  joined  hands 
to  abet  the  amiable  egotist's  delusion.  By  a 
token,  however,  when  they  parted,  Katherine 
gave  their  new  relation  its  recognition. 

"  The  day  you  saved  my  life  you  called  me 
'  Katherine,'  "  she  said,  apropos  of  his  last  "  Miss 
Wentworth."  "  Why  not  now  ?  " 

"  Good-by,  then  —  Katherine,"  he  stammered. 
"  My  name  is  Philip,  you  know." 

She  laughingly  shook  her  head. 

"That  would  be  leze-majesty.  So  good-by  — 
Mr.  Philip  Drew." 


CHAPTER   XIII 

His  way  and  Katherine's  did  not  cross  as 
spring  slipped  into  summer,  but  their  intimacy 
thrived.  He  could  have  constructed  a  fair  out 
line  of  her  life  from  the  papers,  for  she  had 
become  a  staple  topic  in  Washington  "  notes," 
but  Drew  was  not  reduced  to  that  extremity. 
Katherine  wrote  often  and  at  length. 

They  were  piquant  letters,  half  girlish,  half 
businesslike,  blended  of  head  and  heart,  truthful 
little  mirrors  of  her  various  puzzling  self.  Shrewd 
inquiries  about  legislative  candidates  in  remote 
rural  districts  would  jostle  the  description  of  a 
ball  gown  or  a  clever  saying  from  somebody's 
dinner.  Through  all  ran  an  unaffected  joy  in 
living  which  brought  the  eager,  human,  lovable 
woman  herself  very  close.  As  Drew  read  —  per 
haps  in  an  Albany  lobby,  perhaps  with  the  roar 
of  New  York  just  without  —  he  would  glimpse 
the  turn  of  her  graceful  head,  the  adorable  chang 
ing  color,  the  interplay  of  laughter  and  serious 
ness  in  the  gray  eyes.  The  low  voice  itself  came 

147 


i48  THE    MASTERY 

sometimes  ;  at  times  the  perfume  of  violets  ;  then, 
with  redoubled  energy,  he  would  fall  to  work,  and 
run  a  better  race  for  sighting  the  ultimate  goal. 

Meanwhile  history  was  made.  The  two 
great  national  conventions  met  and  named  their 
standard-bearers,  and  the  forces  everywhere  mo 
bilized  for  the  presidential  campaign.  To  Drew, 
however,  now  sentenced  to  hard  labor  at  head 
quarters,  national  issues  were  at  present  of  second 
ary  interest  beside  the  manoeuvres  of  James  Y. 
Redfern.  He  had  first  attracted  Drew's  thought 
ful  notice  at  the  Chicago  convention  by  his 
sedulous  cultivation  of  Maddox.  He  had 
lunched  with  him,  dined  with  him,  even  break 
fasted  ;  and  he  finally  left  for  the  East  in  the 
metropolitan  leader's  private  car,  acclaimed  a 
royal  good  fellow  by  the  triumvir's  boon  com 
panions,  the  smoking-room  confidant  of  Maddox 
himself. 

Spedding  squinted  skyward  when  somebody 
gossiped  of  it  and  predicted  the  speedy  launching 
of  a  boom. 

"  Famous  weather  for  garden  truck,"  he  re 
marked.  "  I  dare  say  we'll  find  surprises  in  our 
little  plot  back  home.  How  weeds  thrive  when 
your  back  is  turned  !  " 

Drew  was  well  accustomed  to  his  parables. 


THE    MASTERY  149 

"  Maddox  will  back  Redfern  ?  "  he  said  when 
they  were  alone. 

"  Maddox  will  use  Redfern." 

"Governorship  or  Senate?" 

"  Both  maybe,"  returned  the  old  man  indiffer 
ently.  "  It  will  crop  out  at  the  state  committee 
meeting." 

So  it  happened.  The  midsummer  meeting 
of  the  state  committee,  as  always,  forced  the  bud 
ding  candidacies  for  every  ofEce  within  the  gift 
of  the  coming  convention  whose  date  the  com 
mittee  set.  The  buzzing  corridors,  neighboring 
the  hotel  parlor  where  the  committee  delib 
erated,  witnessed  each  hour  the  birth  of  some 
new  boom.  Redfern's  bid  for  the  governorship 
was  now  openly  exploited  by  various  newspapers 
throughout  the  state,  but  in  this  ambition  to  head 
the  ticket  he  was  by  no  means  solitary.  A  round 
half-dozen  gentlemen  with  varying  degrees  of 
modesty  let  it  be  understood  that  they  were  in 
a  receptive  mood.  Each  had  his  fluent  mouth 
piece  ;  each  was  of  sufficient  weight  to  stir  dis 
cussion  ;  each,  it  may  be  added,  was  greeted  with 
impartial  cordiality  by  Spedding,  who  bade  them 
fight  it  out  among  themselves  till  the  best 
man  won.  Separately  interviewed,  the  members 
of  the  Triumvirate  were  found  as  a  unit  non- 


1 50  THE    MASTERY 

committal,  and  the  word  went  out  among  the 
highways  that  the  organization  was  grooming  no 
favorites.  Sceptical  editorial  writers  called  this 
"  Boss  Spedding's  old  dodge,"  but  the  hopeful 
six  gathered  delegates  early  and  late. 

The  summer  was  hot  beyond  all  records,  and 
from  the  beginning  Drew  arranged  to  spend  his 
nights  at  Spedding's  old  seaside  haunt.  The 
veteran  planned  a  return  himself,  but  his  physi 
cian  forbade,  and  the  resort's  political  life,  such  as 
it  was,  centred  about  Drew  himself.  Even  with 
Spedding  absent,  the  great  hotel  housed  enough 
politics  to  make  most  of  Drew's  evenings  but 
added  chapters  to  the  story  of  the  day.  Still, 
the  surf  lulled  him  nightly  to  the  full  measure 
of  sleep  without  which  his  best  work  was  impos 
sible,  and  he  frequently  got  a  tonic  hour  in  mental 
undress  from  the  sail  down  the  harbor.  Some 
times  self-invited  companions  robbed  him  of  this 
latter  freshening,  and  at  the  close  of  a  wilting 
afternoon,  some  three  weeks  before  the  state  con 
vention,  he  sat  lazily  watching  river  and  pier,  suf 
fused  with  a  great  peace  born  of  the  belief  that 
not  one  soul  of  all  that  queer  excursion  conglom 
erate  hurrying  aboard  knew  him.  This  vague 
thanksgiving  scarcely  attained  the  dignity  of  a 
definite  thought  before  a  familiar  voice  stayed  the 


THE   MASTERY  151 

unshipping  of  the  gang-plank,  and  Redfern,  blown 
yet  consequential  still,  trotted  into  view. 

Drew  waited,  certain  of  the  man's  errand. 
Indeed,  with  the  Lafayette  County  primaries 
almost  at  hand,  he  marvelled  that  Redfern  had 
not  sought  a  meeting  before. 

"  My   dear  Drew  !      How  fortunate  !  " 

New  York's  amazing  sky-line  had  dropped  far 
enough  astern  to  soften  and  purple  against  a  back 
ground  of  fleecy  cloud  before  the  expected  greet 
ing  came. 

Drew's  "  Ah  !  "  was  a  work  of  art.  It  implied 
neither  surprise,  displeasure,  welcome,  anything. 
It  was  absolutely  colorless,  absolutely  non 
committal. 

Redfern  chose  to  construe  it  as  a  note  of 
welcome.  When  he  aimed  to  conciliate,  he  oozed 
joviality,  and  Redfern  in  his  role  of  hail-fellow 
Drew  detested  most.  He  knew  his  heartiness 
for  an  empty  mannerism,  a  mask,  a  hack  politi 
cian's  chief  stock  in  trade.  He  penetrated  and 
resented  its  spurious  quality  now  as  the  man 
drew  up  a  camp-stool  and,  fanning  himself  with  a 
Panama  hat  of  cavalier  smartness,  fenced  for  a 
conversational  opening  by  cursing  the  heat. 

"  It's  especially  trying  to  a  man  of  my  weight," 
he  observed. 


152  THE    MASTERY 

Drew  eyed  his  moist  Falstaffian  bulk  as  he 
civilly  admitted  the  handicap,  and  decided  that 
"  trying "  literally  expressed  the  situation.  He 
returned  to  the  shifting  panorama  of  the  upper 
bay.  Redfern  also  swept  the  scene,  questing  a 
diplomatic  approach  to  his  business  from  the 
slopes  of  Staten  Island  to  the  flotsam  astern. 
After  a  vain  search  of  water,  land,  and  sky  he  fell 
back  upon  the  weather. 

"You're  quite  willing  to  leave  politics  behind 
at  headquarters  after  one  of  these  broilers,  I 
suppose  ? " 

"  Quite,"  agreed  Drew,  blithely  meeting  his 
lead.  "  I  merely  sit  and  admire  the  harbor  tugs. 
They're  worth  study.  Wasn't  it  Huxley  who 
said  that  if  he  couldn't  be  a  man,  he'd  rather  be 
a  tug?  There's  a  poem  in  the  tug  if  somebody 
would  dig  it  out.  Kipling  could  handle  it.  I 
wonder  that  Whitman  did  not  try.  He  got  all 
sorts  of  things  from  a  ferry-boat." 

Redfern  rumbled  some  indistinct  reply  in  his 
beard,  and  scrambled  back  to  familiar  ground. 

"  I  guess  only  you  people  at  headquarters 
know  the  drudgery  that  a  campaign  means,"  he 
observed  feelingly.  "  The  man  outside  thinks 
work  begins  with  the  stump  speeches." 

"Yes.     And  he  holds  back  his  check  accord- 


THE    MASTERY  153 

ingly.  He  can't  understand  how  the  pay-roll 
swells  from  the  day  we  issue  the  call  for  a  state 
convention.  It  costs  to  have  your  mail  dumped 
upon  you  by  the  sack.  It  costs  to  retain  John 
Doe  to  watch  the  enemy  in  one  county,  and  to 
make  it  worth  Richard  Roe's  while  to  keep  his 
eyes  open  somewhere  else." 

"  Not  to  mention  the  neat  little  packages  of 
greenbacks  to  be  dropped  from  Tonawanda  to 
Montauk  Point  ?  "  leered  Redfern.  "  The  dumb 
spellbinders,  eh  ? " 

Drew  made  no  response.  He  had  a  fastidious 
reticence  regarding  the  darker  uses  of  money 
in  practical  politics.  He  appreciated  as  well  as 
the  next  that  under  certain  conditions  certain 
things  must  be,  but  he  did  not  like  to  bandy  the 
failings  of  humanity  in  flippant  speech. 

As  the  talk  grounded  again  Redfern's  ruddi 
ness  deepened.  Then  he  abruptly  abandoned 
verbal  jockeying,  and  set  a  straight  course. 

"  I  want  to  talk  Saratoga  to  you,"  he  announced. 

Drew  turned  to  face  him.  When  he  dealt  with 
persons  of  uncertain  veracity,  he  preferred  to 
watch  their  eyes. 

"  At  your  service,"  he  returned. 

"  You're  more  in  the  confidence  of  the  leaders 
than  I  am,"  Redfern  prefaced.  "  You  probably 


154  THE    MASTERY 

know  their  real  opinion  about  the  governorship. 
Spedding  says  that  the  field  is  open.  He  always 
says  that.  Maddox  as  usual  chimes  in  that  the 
convention's  choice  will  suit  him  right  down  to 
the  ground.  Now  if  it  is  an  open  field,  my 
chance  is  as  good  as  the  next  man's.  Maddox 
gives  me  free  rein  to  do  what  I  can  in  his  territory 
and  I'm  doing  pretty  well.  I've  been  tolerably 
successful  up  state  too." 

"  Delegates  talk." 

Redfern  paused  and  stroked  the  parting  of  his 
auburn  beard  with  a  characteristic  movement  of 
forefinger. 

"  I'll  ask  you  a  plain  question,"  he  resumed. 
"Are  you  personally  pledged  to  anybody?" 

Drew's  face  was  serene. 

"  I'll  give  you  a  plain  answer,"  he  said. 
"  No." 

Redfern  sociably  edged  up  his  camp-stool. 

"  That  clears  the  ground.  I  feel  free  to  at 
tempt  to  induce  you  to  join  forces  with  me.  As 
I  see  it,  an  alliance  would  be  of  mutual  benefit." 

Drew  made  a  sign  of  assent.  Spedding's 
"  cement  of  majorities  "  was  a  repugnant  substance 
to  handle.  He  wondered  whether  the  old  leader 
and  his  quondam  foe  who  died  high  in  office  had 
been  temperamentally  polar  opposites. 


THE    MASTERY  155 

Redfern  went  on. 

"  With  you  where  you  are,"  he  said,  "  and 
another  Two  Rivers  man  in  the  governor's  chair, 
I  think  we  may  take  the  benefit  which  would 
accrue  to  Lafayette  County  for  granted." 

"  I  think  we  may,"  rejoined  Drew,  dryly. 
"  There's  the  trifling  preliminary  of  the  election, 
however." 

"  Quite  so,"  the  editor  agreed.  "  Not  to 
mention  the  Saratoga  convention  also.  You  are 
right  to  bring  the  matter  back  to  actualities. 
Facts,  if  I  may  say  so,  are  your  forte.  Assuming 
then  that  Two  Rivers,  Lafayette  County,  the 
entire  Valley  in  fact,  would  profit  by  such  a  con 
tingency,  let  us  confront  the  fact  that  its  achieve 
ment  will  necessitate  the  cooperation  of  all  those 
who  have  the  Valley's  interests  at  heart." 

Drew  became  restive  under  the  roll  of  poly 
syllables.  The  man's  errand  was  transparent. 
Why,  after  his  spellbinder's  habit,  did  he  wheel 
and  wheel  ? 

"  And  you  suggest  ?  " 

Redfern  coughed. 

"  I  rather  hoped  you  would  do  that,"  he  said 
with  his  oily  smile. 

"  Very  well,"  Drew  said  briskly.  "  I  suggest 
that  the  Valley  send  a  solid  James  Y.  Redfern 


156  THE    MASTERY 

delegation  to  Saratoga.  That  covers  the  ground, 
doesn't  it  ?  " 

Taken  aback  by  his  easy  victory  in  the  face  of 
obstacles  he  had  deemed  the  thorniest,  Redfern 
let  himself  relax  with  a  long-drawn  sigh  of  content. 

"  It  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired,"  he  beamed. 
"  It  sets  my  candidacy  in  a  proper  light  before 
the  state.  It  is,  I  may  say,  a  most  flattering 
endorsement.  I  realize  that  past  —  er  —  misun 
derstandings  might  have  prejudiced  —  that  Mc- 
Quade  - 

"  Oh,  McQuade  will  prove  amenable.  The 
delegation  will  go  up  to  Saratoga  with  a  single 
mind.  Naturally  I  can't  predict  the  course  of  my 
friends  during  the  entire  convention.  Questions 
of  the  moment  must  be  settled  as  they  arise. 
But  I  assume  that  your  chief  concern  is  with  the 
effect  of  a  united  delegation  at  the  outset  ?  " 

"  Exactly.  The  moral  effect  of  a  solid  Valley 
delegation  upon  other  delegates." 

"And  in  case  you  should  be  disappointed  in 
your  showing  in  the  early  balloting  ?  "  He 
fingered  the  man's  vanity  for  a  definite  stop. 
"  An  opportune  withdrawal  in  convention  some 
times  makes  a  man's  future." 

The  instrument  responded  instantly  to  his  touch. 

"  Trust  me,"  Redfern  rejoined  loftily.     "  Trust 


THE    MASTERY  157 

me.  I  shall  steer  clear  of  pitfalls.  If  I  am  to 
head  the  ticket,  the  call  must  come  with  no  uncer 
tain  sound." 

"  And  if  by  the  third  or  fourth  ballot  —  " 
"  The  first,  my  dear  sir,  will  decide." 
"  Don't  limit  yourself  too   narrowly.     I   raise 
the   point  to   obtain   some  definite  word  for  my 
people's  guidance.     Suppose  we  say  that,  if  after 
three     ballots,     the     convention     has    made     no 
choice  —  " 

"  Then  let  your  delegates  vote  as  they  will," 
charged  Redfern,  in  vainglorious  haste. 

His  main  point  gained,  the  man's  affability 
knew  no  bounds.  Was  not  his  friend  Drew  over 
working  himself?  Could  not  they  plan  some 
recreation  for  the  evening  ?  A  band  concert, 
perhaps  ?  Fireworks,  summer  opera  ?  But  Drew 
pleaded  an  engagement,  and  once  ashore  took  the 
first  available  pretext  to  rid  himself  of  Redfern's 
budding  good-fellowship.  At  the  nearest  tele 
graph  office  he  wired  McQuade  to  meet  him  at 
headquarters  in  the  morning. 

Drew  found  the  Irishman  posted  in  a  window 
with  his  eyes  oscillating  between  the  pictorial 
charm  of  the  stream  of  shoppers  without  and  the 
undoubted  good  looks  of  one  of  the  feminine 
stenographers  within. 


158  THE    MASTERY 

"  Such  a  bunch  to  pick  from  and  but  one 
allowed  !  "  he  sighed,  following  Drew  into  his 
private  room.  "  That  lad  Solomon  had  th'  right 
'notion  of  th'  gentlemanly  thing." 

Drew  left  his  lieutenant  to  the  morning  papers 
while  he  winnowed  his  personal  mail.  McQuade, 
having  assured  himself  that  the  "  Giants "  were 
still  "  playing  ball,"  duly  inspected  yesterday's 
performances  of  the  "  ponies,"  skimmed  the 
pugilistic  gossip  with  his  usual  reflection  that 
"  old  Jawn  L."  was  after  all  in  a  class  by  him 
self,  and  leisurely  turned  to  things  political. 

"  Powers  above ! "  he  suddenly  implored. 
"  Will  you  listen  t*  this  !  " 

Drew  looked  up  with  a  glint  of  a  smile. 

"  Go  on." 

His  vigilant  forefinger  trailing  the  astounding 
item  to  its  ultimate  period,  his  voice  pounding 
out  the  articles  and  particles  with  the  same 
unction  he  bestowed  upon  nouns  and  verbs, 
McQuade  read  :  — 

"  c  Among  those  who  know,  the  gubernatorial 
boom  of  the  Hon.  James  Y.  Redfern  of  Two 
Rivers  is  said  no  longer  to  require  the  swaddling 
of  cotton-wool  in  which  it  was  tenderly  brought 
to  this  city  last  month  at  the  meeting  of  the 
State  Committee.  Mr.  Redfern  is  a  popular 


THE    MASTERY  159 

man  on  the  stump,  and  his  name  has  been  men 
tioned  frequently  for  the  governorship  in  past 
years,  though  without  attracting  support  sufficient 
to  justify  his  friends  in  pressing  his  candidacy  in 
convention.  This  floating  Redfern  sentiment  is 
now  crystallizing  in  the  practical  form  of  delegates, 
however,  and  the  Lafayette  County  orator  of  the 
silver  tongue  seems  likely  to  prove  a  noteworthy 
contestant  in  Boss  Spedding's  forthcoming  free- 
for-all  hippodrome  at  Saratoga.  Mr.  Redfern, 
who  last  evening  joined  the  constellation  of 
political  stars  which  twinkle  nightly  at  Man 
hattan  Beach,  modestly  declined  to  discuss  the 
matter  beyond  confirming  the  report  that  no 
past  differences  between  himself  and  State  Chair 
man  Drew  would  be  permitted  to  work  to  the 
prejudice  of  his  candidacy.  "  Mr.  Drew  and  I 
are  on  the  best  of  terms,"  he  said.  "  The  Lafay 
ette  County  delegation  will  go  to  Saratoga  solidly 
in  my  support."  Chairman  Drew  could  not 

be  found  to   corroborate   this   interesting  intelli- 

>  » 
gence. 

"  {  Corroborate  ! '  cried  McQuade,  dashing 
down  the  sheet ;  "  that's  good  !  c  Corroborate  '  is 
good ! " 

«  But  I  do." 

McQuade's  jaw  dropped. 


160  THE    MASTERY 

"Just  say  that  again,"  he  begged  plaintively. 
"Say  it  slow." 

"  So  far  as  it  has  to  do  with  our  political  rela 
tions,  Redfern's  statement  is  true." 

"  And  th'  Lafayette  County  delegation  —  oh, 
somebody  wake  me  up  !  " 

"  The  Lafayette  County  delegation  must  en 
dorse  Redfern  to  a  man." 

"  Excuse  this  man." 

"  Excusing  nobody  who  holds  down  a  delegate's 
chair.  I  sent  for  you  to  tell  you  this." 

His  smile  seemed  to  qualify  the  rigor  of  his 
statement  and  McQuade  brightened. 

"  Casino  or  Old  Maid  is  nearer  my  caliber," 
he  admitted.  "  I  never  had  th'  head  f'r  poker." 

"  There  is  no  bluff  about  instructing  the 
delegates." 

"Honest  Injun?" 

"  It's  virtually  the  price  of  your  reelection." 

"  What !  " 

"  I'll  not  say  that  Redfern  could  have  prevented 
your  renomination,  but  you  know  pretty  well  what 
he  could  do  at  the  polls.  Lafayette  County  is 
loyal,  but  not  loyal  enough  for  a  family  jar." 

McQuade's  skin  turned  a  fine  scarlet. 

"Then  count  me  out,"  he  shouted  hotly,  bang 
ing  the  desk  with  his  huge  fist.  "  You  shan't 


THE    MASTERY  161 

take  orders  fr'm  that  red  porpoise  on  Larry 
McQuade's  account  by  a  long  chalk.  Th' 
Assembly  be  damned  !  " 

"  Redfern    made    no  threats.     I  gave  him  no 

chance.     The    suggestion  to  instruct  came  from 

»> 
me. 

"  An'  f'r  me  !  " 

"  Partly,  Larry.  Then,  too,  wouldn't  it  be  a 
queer,  sort  of  state  chairman  who'd  permit  a 
rumpus  in  his  own  county  ?  " 

McQuade  took  an  uneasy  turn  of  the  room. 

"  On  th'  level,  Phil,"  he  demanded  suddenly, 
"  could  you  see  that  man  made  governor  at  any 
price  ?  " 

Drew  met  his  look  and  query  squarely. 

"  I  shouldn't  want  to  see  a  man  with  a  yellow 
streak  like  his  made  dog-catcher." 

McQuade's  smile  gurgled  into  a  chuckle,  the 
chuckle  became  a  laugh,  the  laugh  waxed  to  a 
roar.  Then  a  tap  came  at  the  door.  One  of  the 
clerical  force  handed  Drew  a  card. 

"  Show  him  in,"  he  said,  and  flicked  the  paste 
board  over  to  his  friend. 

"Great  Cats!"  McQuade  whistled.  "James 
Y.  himself!  What's  my  cue?" 

"Harmony,"  Drew  answered.  "Harmony  — 
with  your  ears  wide  open." 

M 


CHAPTER   XIV 

REDFERN  boomed  a  sonorous  good  morning 
from  the  doorway. 

"I  just  ran  in  —  "  he  began,  and  caught  sight 
of  McQuade. 

"  Don't  stop  runnin'  because  of  me,"  whipped 
in  the  Irishman  with  a  spacious  grin. 

Clumsy  at  fence,  Redfern  was  for  the  moment 
discomfited,  but  Drew  promptly  took  the  situa 
tion  in  hand. 

"  I'm  sure  you'll  be  glad  to  see  one  of  your 
future  delegates,"  he  said,  putting  forward  a  chair. 
"  We  just  had  Saratoga  on  the  carpet." 

The  candidate's  geniality  opened  like  a  tropic 
flower. 

"  Friend  McQuade  is  quite  of  our  way  of 
thinking  then  ?  " 

"  On  the  main  proposition,  quite,"  pursued 
Drew,  smoothly.  "  I  had  not  yet  explained  to 
him  your  liberal  interpretation  of  our  delegates' 
instructions.  You  see,  McQuade,  Mr.  Redfern 
makes  it  a  point  of  pride  that  the  nomination,  if 

162 


THE    MASTERY  163 

it  come  at  all,  must  be  his  early  in  the  balloting. 
He  refuses  to  make  himself  a  party  to  a  pro 
longed  contest,  and  he  proposes  accordingly  to 
give  our  people  free  rein  after  the  third  —  it  was 
the  third  ballot,  wasn't  it,  we  finally  agreed  upon?  " 

"  The  third,"  assented  Redfern  ;  and  repeated 
his  precise  words  of  the  night  before,  "  Then 
let  your  delegates  vote  as  they  will." 

Drew's  attention  was  presently  absorbed  by  his 
telephone,  and  Redfern,  finding  nothing  to  say  to 
McQuade,  took  himself  ofT.  McQuade  lingered. 

"  That  was  a  hurry-up  call  all  right,  all  right," 
he  sung  out  as  Drew  turned  to  him  again.  "  But 
I  tattooed  that  third  ballot  proviso  on  my  brain 
tissue." 

"  I  knew  you  would  grasp  the  point.  His 
calling  was  a  great  piece  of  luck.  When  I  drew 
that  from  him  last  night,  there  was  no  witness." 

"  Now  he  may  howl,  but  he  won't  dare  lie." 

"  Exactly." 

McQuade  ruminated  profoundly. 

"  Well,"  he  said  finally,  "  we've  coaxed  white- 
winged  Peace  t'  roost  in  Lafayette  County.  It's 
now  up  t'  you  an'  Spedding  t'  save  th'  state  fr'm 
th'  consequences." 

"  I  think  we  may  safely  leave  that  to  Spedding." 

McQuade  guffawed. 


1 64  THE   MASTERY 

"  Don't  tell  me  you  two  haven't  got  this  whole 
move  cut  an'  dried,"  he  said  admiringly.  "  Well, 
I'm  off.  See  you  in  Saratoga." 

"  No  half-hearted  support  of  your  candidate, 
Larry." 

"  Watch  me  !  " 

McQuade  played  his  assigned  part  with  the 
gusto  of  an  actor  of  the  old  school.  Drew 
glimpsed  him  first  at  Saratoga  the  day  before 
the  convention  in  a  much  be-badged  company, 
two  hundred  strong,  who  late  in  the  afternoon 
broke  into  the  sylvan  quadrangle  of  the  vast 
hotel  to  the  racketing  of  Two  Rivers'  crack  brass 
band.  The  boomers  wore  silk  hats  of  divers 
styles,  eras,  and  states  of  preservation,  but  with 
their  headgear  formal  splendor  had  at  once  its 
beginning  and  end.  Mere  buttons  could  not 
constrain  coats  and  waistcoats  in  that  melting 
heat,  and  the  consequent  display  of  crumpled 
shirt-fronts,  starred,  barred  and  polka-dotted,  was 
by  competent  critics  pronounced  the  most  ex 
traordinary  of  recent  years.  Banners  were  almost 
as  plentiful  among  them  as  badges,  setting  forth 
that  whatsoever  was  patriotic,  statesmanlike, 
and  politically  of  good  report,  that  same  the 
candidate  embodied  whose  florid  portrait  they 
bore. 


THE    MASTERY  165 

"  Boys,  what's  th'  matter  with  James  Y.  Red- 
fern  ?  "  demanded  an  insinuating  voice  which 
Drew  identified  readily  as  McQuade's. 

The  two  hundred  roared  into  the  elms  their 
leather-lunged  conviction  that  "  he  "  was  all  right. 

"Who's  all  right?"  inquired  McQuade,  po 
litely,  cupping  his  big  fist  to  an  ear-trumpet. 

"  R-E-D-F-E-R-N  !  " 

Descending  a  gentle  hill  where  a  fountain 
played,  they  wheeled  and  crossed  to  the  historic 
cottage  tenanted  year  after  year  by  Spedding 
whom,  unseen  and  irresponsive,  they  cheered 
before  breaking  ranks.  McQuade  sighted  Drew, 
and  came  shouldering  through  the  knots  of  poli 
ticians  harbored  by  the  shaded  piazza  where  he  sat. 

"  It's  th'  first  time  I've  showed  up  at  conven 
tion  in  a  plug  hat,"  he  imparted  in  a  hoarse 
whisper.  "  It's  a  part  of  th'  disguise,  an'  I've  a 
straw  in  my  grip  against  th'  unmaskin'.  You'll 
have  noticed  th'  genteel  air  it  gave  them  dukes 
an'  earls  what  just  marched  round.  Respect 
ability's  our  watchword.  Say,  if  that  crew  was 
all  delegates  now  !  " 

"  Then  I  dare  say  we'd  do  some  lively  pander 
ing  to  the  better  element,"  Drew  said  jocularly, 
his  eyes  upon  the  Redfern  badge  which  McQuade 
jerked  conspicuously  to  the  fore. 


166  THE    MASTERY 

"  Ain't  it  beauteous  ?  Ain't  he  th'  dog- 
catcher's  ideal  now  ?  "  Then,  his  face  sobering, 
he  added  anxiously :  "  Phil,  you  don't  suppose 
he  has  a  chance  ?  He  claims  three  hundred 
delegates." 

"  Claims,"  Drew  shrugged.  "  Livingston  claims 
three  hundred  and  fifty,  Scott  a  hundred  and 
seventy-five  or  eighty,  and  the  '  also-ran  '  contin 
gent  anywhere  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  apiece. 
There  are  only  seven  hundred  and  some  odd 
delegates  in  all.  Somebody's  lying  !  " 

"  Oh,  Saratoga  air  is  full  of  pipe  dreams,  of 
course,"  McQuade  admitted,  "  but  it's  no  fairy 
tale  that  James  Y.  has  friends.  I  wouldn't 
worry  a  minute  if  Spedding  was  O.K.  They're 
sayin'  he's  here  against  his  doctor's  orders." 

Drew  nodded  gravely. 

"  Spedding  compromised  by  bringing  the  doc 
tor  along.  It's  the  last  fortnight's  hot  weather 
that  has  pulled  him  down." 

"  He's  inside,  I  take  it,"  remarked  McQuade, 
his  glance  compassing  the  swarming  candidates 
and  their  hangers-on  which  this  cottage  of  all 
lured  most.  "  Look  f  'r  honey  where  th'  bees 
buzz !  " 

The  spruce  correspondent  of  a  New  York  daily 
addressed  an  inquiry  to  Drew  about  the  last 


THE    MASTERY  167 

rumored  "  slate,"  and  McQuade  took  himself  off. 
He  caromed  blithely  from  group  to  group,  drift 
ing  from  the  wooded  court  to  the  cigar-stand  of 
the  lobby,  from  lobby  to  outer  veranda,  and  from 
outdoors  in  again  on  the  flowing  tide  which  set 
ceaselessly  toward  the  bar.  These  days  held  for 
him  the  rarest  savor  of  all  the  year. 

As  night  fell  the  singular  community  —  drowsy 
foothill  village  under  winter  skies,  by  summer  a 
city  with  urban  passions  and  urban  vices  —  as 
sumed  the  hectic  gayety  of  a  carnival.  The 
convention  chancing  early,  the  persons  who  os 
tensibly  seek  Saratoga  for  its  healing  virtues,  and 
the  unabashed  hordes  who  know  mineral  waters 
mainly  as  "  chasers  "  to  liquids  more  exhilarating, 
for  once  rubbed  astonished,  yet  on  the  whole, 
friendly  elbows.  The  high-pillared  hotel  veran 
das  of  unknown  architecture  echoed  to  the  din 
of  clubs  marching  and  countermarching  beneath 
the  leafy  arches  of  the  street,  their  flamboyant 
banners  proclaiming  "  Onondaga  County  solid 
for  Livingston,"  "  Lafayette  for  Redfern,"  or 
Scott  as  "  The  Farmer's  Friend " ;  the  curio 
bazaars,  glaring  with  electricity  and  exotic  color, 
did  their  seductive  utmost ;  the  politician  be 
stowed  his  meaningless  handshake ;  the  gambler 
insinuated  his  glittering  chance ;  the  tout  prof- 


168  THE    MASTERY 

fered  his  seamy  wisdom ;  the  wanton  smiled  her 
painted  smile. 

By  noon  on  the  morrow  the  political  element 
of  this  chaos  ceased  boiling  in  and  out  the  great 
hotels  and  packed  the  flag-draped  convention 
hall.  The  galleries  had  been  crammed  for  hours 
with  a  welter  of  boomers  and  sightseers  who  be 
guiled  the  wait  with  spasmodic  outbursts  for  Red- 
fern,  Livingston,  or  another  "  favorite  son,"  or  in 
egging  on  the  rivalry  between  the  various  bands. 
Men  shuttled  to  and  fro  among  the  placards 
below,  as  the  floor  filled,  buttonholing,  whisper 
ing,  gesticulating,  the  obscurest  the  most  self- 
important.  The  real  celebrities  always  came  late. 

Wentworth,  snowy-haired  and  impressive,  saun 
tered  down  an  aisle  at  length,  cheered  to  the  rafters 
and  specially  marked  by  the  bandmasters.  Mad- 
dox  followed  shortly,  bending  his  thick  neck 
awkwardly  to  the  shouts  of  his  henchmen.  Last 
of  all  came  Spedding.  He  was  spied  almost  as 
he  set  foot  in  the  building  ;  the  lookout  shouted 
"  Spedding,"  and  "  Spedding,  Spedding  "  ran  from 
delegation  to  delegation  and  from  floor  to  gal 
leries.  The  bands  crashed  into  paeons  of  wel 
come,  harmonious  in  fury  alone,  and  amid  cheer 
on  cheer  the  frail  old  man  made  his  painful  way 
down  the  central  aisle  to  his  own  county  delega- 


THE    MASTERY  169 

tion.  They  cheered  him  step  by  step,  cheered 
him  even  as  he  sat,  cheered  till  he  slowly  rose 
and  bowed,  and  bowed  again.  No  convention  of 
the  many  he  had  attended  and  dominated  had 
so  welcomed  him.  Few  here  had  hoped  to  see 
him  at  all.  Most  thought  that  this  convention 
would  be  his  last. 

The  auditorium  quieted  at  the  tap  of  Drew's 
gavel. 

"  I  am  directed  by  the  state  committee,"  he 
began  in  level  conversational  tones,  and  forthwith 
set  the  machinery  of  the  convention  in  motion  by 
naming  the  temporary  chairman.  With  the  end 
of  the  invocation  by  a  comfortable-looking  bishop 
who  was  visiting  the  Springs,  the  business  of 
organization  went  forward  apace.  The  perma 
nent  officers  had  succeeded  the  temporary,  the 
platform  been  read,  and  a  recess  taken  till  five 
o'clock  before  the  mere  spectators  had  fairly  made 
a  beginning  of  enjoying  themselves  after  the 
morning's  tedious  wait.  The  reporters,  scrib 
bling  away  like  mad,  qualified  their  word  paint 
ing  of  the  enfeebled  Spedding's  entrance  with 
the  pregnant  comment  that  the  great  boss's  con 
vention  was  being  forwarded  with  every  whit  of 
his  old-time  deftness  and  despatch. 

With   the    taking   of  the    recess   the    cauldron 


iyo  THE   MASTERY 

below  stairs  again  began  to  seethe.  The  stage 
held  a  committee  meeting.  Spedding  and  his 
fellow  triumvirs  were  seen  to  leave  the  floor. 
The  spectators  resorted  once  more  to  the  rival 
bands  for  diversion. 

McQuade  intercepted  Drew  at  the  door  of  a 
committee  room. 

"  Redfern's  just  bagged  th'  Monroe  delegation 
on  condition  that  Lafayette  backs  their  man  f'r 
comptroller,"  he  announced  in  a  thick  whisper. 
"  It  means  a  bigger  showin'  in  th'  first  round,  but 
I  had  t'  look  pleasant." 

"  Right,"  Drew  assented  hurriedly,  disengaging 
his  lapel.  "  The  Monroe  man  was  our  move 
anyhow." 

"  An'  th'  red  devil  is  braggin'  that  gobs  of 
votes  '11  swing  t'  him  on  th'  second  ballot !  New 
York  an'  Brooklyn  are  split  every  which  way." 

"  As  usual.     Excuse  me  now,  Larry." 

"  Maddox  is  an  old  snake  !  " 

"  Spedding  is  a  snake  charmer,"  Drew  laughed 
back. 

Cool,  imperturbable,  the  old  man  chuckled 
when,  illustrating  McQuade's  mannerisms,  Drew 
repeated  his  forebodings. 

"  Maddox  proved  most  tractable,"  he  smiled. 
"  We  got  together  beautifully." 


THE    MASTERY  171 

"  He  used  Redfern  as  you  predicted  ?  " 
"  Oh,  yes.      It  is  Maddox's  view  that  the  party 
below  the  Bronx  ought  to  cut  a  wider  swathe  at 
Saratoga,  and  he  took  his  own  way  of  impress 
ing  it." 

"  And  you  applied  your  famous  cement  ?  " 
"Just  a  trowelful.      Maddox  only  wanted  his 
doubts  resolved  about  a  little  federal  patronage, 
and  a  place  made  on  the  ticket  for  his  friend  from 
Troy." 

"  Redfern  was  a  convenient  wooden  horse  ?  " 
"Yes,"  Spedding  grinned.  "History  repeats 
itself.  But  the  Greeks  won't  sack  Troy  town  just 
yet.  When  I'm  gone  — "  he  paused,  his  eyes 
shadowing  —  "well,  the  Greeks  will  bear  watch 
ing,  Philip ;  they'll  bear  watching.  Maddox  is 
nursing  ambitions  for  state  leadership,  if  I  know 
the  symptoms,  and  you  know  I'm  a  bit  of  a  spe 
cialist  in  diagnosing  that  disease.  I  would  spare 
the  party  the  rule  of  a  mere  office  pedler.  That's 
one  reason  why  I  count  so  on  you." 

By  five  the  hall  settled  itself  in  a  tense  hush 
of  expectation.  The  real  play  was  about  to  begin. 
Again  Spedding  reaped  a  harvest  of  plaudits  as 
he  entered.  In  the  popular  fancy  the  show  was 
of  his  giving.  The  speeches  putting  the  various 
candidates  in  nomination  had  the  closest  attention. 


1 72  THE    MASTERY 

those  in  Redfern's  and  Livingston's  behalf  rousing 
the  greatest  ado.  Redfern's  boomers  banked  a 

D 

large  section  of  one  gallery  ;  Livingston's  another 
over  against  them  ;  while  a  smaller  group  midway 
between,  yelled  "  Scott  !  Scott !  We  want  Scott !  " 
with  the  concerted  energy  of  a  steam  calliope. 

The  speechmaking  reached  its  end.  Actors 
and  audience  straightened  in  their  seats.  The 
chairman  directed  the  calling  of  the  roll.  The 
balloting  began :  — 

"Albany?" 

Spedding's  own  county  topped  the  list,  and  the 
crowd  strained  to  listen.  Would  the  great  leader 
show  by  a  straw  the  blowing  of  the  wind  ?  Then, 
as  the  chairman  of  the  delegation  announced  the 
result,  the  convention  roared  with  laughter. 
With  favoritism  toward  none  Spedding  had  scat 
tered  his  votes  among  all  the  candidates. 

On  fared  the  roll-call  of  the  sixty  counties,  —  a 
sounding  list,  great  men's  names,  in  most  part, 
starred  with  Indian  quaintnesses.  But  the  con 
vention  cared  nothing  for  the  latent  poetry  in 
Cattaraugus,  Genesee,  Niagara,  Onondaga,  Sara 
toga,  Tioga,  or  Wyoming.  They  were  symbols 
merely,  connoting  large  or  trivial  blocks  of  votes 
on  whose  fluctuating  combinations  impassioned 
human  beings  built  or  wrecked  their  very  human 


THE    MASTERY  173 

hopes.  It  was  done  at  length,  and  the  adepts 
knew  the  footings  almost  before  the  last  chair 
man  rose  in  his  place ;  but  the  great  crowd  to 
which  it  was  a  spectacle  waited  breathlessly  for 
the  official  pronouncement. 

"  Redfern  236  ;  Livingston  141  ;  Scott  94;"  — 
so  on  through  the  several  candidates  among  whom 
Drew  had  found  himself  unexpectedly  plumped, 
through  the  irrepressible  enthusiasm  of  three  dele 
gates  from  the  remote  confines  of  the  Southern 
Tier. 

No  choice  ! 

Nevertheless,  the  Redfern  shouters  of  the  gal 
lery  worked  themselves  into  a  red-faced  delirium 
over  their  candidate's  lead,  and  his  lieutenants  on 
the  floor  buzzed  about  among  the  delegations  in 
frantic  preparation  for  the  impending  second  bal 
lot.  Spedding  sat  peacefully  through  the  uproar, 
smiling  upon  all ;  Wentworth,  one  aisle  distant, 
twirled  his  eye-glasses  in  dreamy  abstraction ; 
Maddox  was  a  stone  image. 

Then  the  roll  began  all  over  again  and  ran  its 
appointed  course  from  Albany  to  Yates.  The 
knowing  looked  for  changes  now.  The  first 
ballot  had  been  but  a  show  of  more  or  less 
obvious  strength.  Now  was  the  time  for  the 
swinging  in  of  unexpected  reserves.  The  air 


174  THE    MASTERY 

was  rife  with  predictions  of  stampedes  and  other 
picturesque  phenomena.  The  small  fry  would 
scuttle,  so  they  would.  The  big  fellows  would 
show  their  hands.  Watch  for  changes  in  New 
York  and  Kings  !  Keep  an  eye  on  that  anti- 
machine  gang  from  Erie !  But  the  call  had  gone 
no  great  way  before  the  soothsayers  and  penny- 
prophets  saw  themselves  put  to  confusion.  The 
stampede  was  manifestly  behindhand;  the  small 
fry  were  not  scuttling  actively ;  the  big  fellows 
held  their  ground,  no  more;  New  York  and 
Kings  were  apathetic ;  Erie  the  recalcitrant  was 
at  peace. 

"  Redfern  236;  Livingston  141 — ' 
Nobody  cared  what  petty  shiftings  had  tran 
spired  among  the  other  candidates.  Redfern  and 
Livingston  were  stationary  !  It  was  a  time  to  sit 
at  the  feet  of  new  prophets  and  hedge  bets.  The 
universal  eye  of  expectation  focussed  itself  upon 
the  enigmatic  third  ballot.  Just  then,  however, 
the  right  man  made  the  right  motion  and  the 
convention  adjourned. 


CHAPTER   XV 

To  the  casual  eye  the  night  seemed  last  night 
over  again.  The  main  thoroughfare  throbbed 
with  the  same  febrile  animation ;  the  great  hotel 
corridors  and  verandas  hummed  like  the  purlieus 
of  a  hive.  The  initiated,  however,  were  less  inter 
ested  in  the  vain  clamor  of  veranda,  corridor,  and 
street,  than  in  the  relatively  peaceful  court  on 
whose  fresh  greenness  and  diamond-dropping 
fountain  Spedding's  cottage  gave.  Livingston's 
headquarters  neighbored  the  leader's  closely  ;  Red- 
fern's  rooms  were  hard  by  ;  Scott's  not  far  distant. 
The  newspaper  men  dubbed  it  "Candidates'  Row." 

It  was  in  truth  the  newspaper  men  who  just  now 
felt  the  liveliest  concern  in  Candidates'  Row.  They 
knew  to  a  man  who  and  what  were  the  visitors  who 
had  drifted  nonchalantly  over  Spedding's  doorsill 
during  the  past  half  hour.  Maddox  had  gone 
in  recently ;  Wentworth  earlier ;  Drew,  the  state 
chairman,  had  been  closeted  with  Spedding  since 
dinner ;  the  chairman  of  the  executive  committee 
had  entered  joking  ponderously  with  the  state 


1 76  THE    MASTERY 

superintendent  of  public  works;  the  others  hailed 
from  various  points  of  the  compass  and  answered 
to  "Judge,"  "Congressman,"  "Colonel,"  and 
other  titles  of  more  or  less  consequence  and  dig 
nity.  All  told,  they  tallied  twelve  or  fifteen,  and 
they  illustrated  strikingly  the  widely  differing 
temperaments  it  had  been  Spedding's  art  to  yoke 
in  harmonious  service  for  a  common  end.  In 
newspaper  parlance,  the  Triumvirate  was  in  solemn 
conclave  with  the  Inner  Circle. 

The  scene  indoors  justified  curiosity,  since  the 
ten  minutes  just  elapsed  had  witnessed  the  settling 
of  the  governorship.  The  men  lounged  in  in 
formal  knots  around  the  cottage's  smoke-hazed 
main  room,  but  everybody  was  mentally  alert  and 
the  eyes  sought  a  common  centre. 

"  I  assume,  then,  that  we  are  of  one  mind," 
Spedding  was  saying.  "  To  nominate  either  Red- 
fern  or  Livingston  would  jeopardize  the  organiza 
tion.  Both  are  men  of  approved  loyalty  and  both 
have  friends.  Unfortunately  they're  equally  rich 
in  enemies  and  each  man's  worst  enemy  is  the 
other.  Already  they're  cutting  each  other  at 
sight.  It's  easy  guessing  what  the  unsuccessful 
man  would  be  tempted  to  do  in  November  if 
his  rival  heads  the  ticket.  Judge  Howard  and 
Mr.  Clark  —  suppose  you  wait  on  Livingston. 


THE    MASTERY  177 

Colonel  Brown,  will  you  and  Senator  Zimmerman 
put  the  situation  before  Redfern  ?  Suggest  that 
they  make  their  withdrawal  in  favor  of  Hender 
son  or  Scott.  I  take  it  we're  agreed  that  either 
Henderson  or  Scott  would  command  hearty  sup 
port  ? "  His  keen  eye  travelled  round  the  room 
from  man  to  man.  "  Senator  Wentworth  ?  Mr. 
Maddox  ?  Mr.  Drew  ?  Very  well,  gentlemen." 

The  ambassadors  fared  forth.  Wentworth 
with  a  little  sigh  of  relief  began  talking  of  grape- 
culture  to  a  Chautauqua  County  state  committee- 
man.  Drew  took  a  campaign  suggestion  over  to 
Maddox  on  the  sofa,  who  said,  "  Yes,  yes,"  at 
mechanical  intervals  as  he  puffed  at  his  eternal 
cigar.  In  another  corner  an  up-country  editor 
was  retailing  a  drummer's  joke.  From  some 
where  without  penetrated  the  lilting  rhythm  of  a 
Strauss  waltz ;  Maddox,  the  strangely  musical, 
inclined  a  listening  ear ;  Spedding's  forefinger 
tapped  his  arm-chair,  out  of  time. 

Two  of  the  messengers  reentered. 

"  Well,  gentlemen  ?  "  Spedding  queried. 

Judge  Howard  emitted  the  prefatory  cough 
which  used  always  to  forerun  his  charge  to  the 
jury  when  he  was  still  a  luminary  of  the  bench. 

"  Our  diplomacy,"  he  said,  "  has  been  wholly 
successful.  Mr.  Livingston  assures  us  that  he 


iy8  THE    MASTERY 

will  cheerfully  withdraw  if  the  party  is  to  be  the 
gainer." 

Spedding  nodded  his  thanks  and  drew  the 
judge  aside.  The  room  discussed  Livingston, 
dealing  tenderly  with  him  as  one  dead. 

"I've  always  thought  him  a  thoroughbred," 
said  one. 

"  Blood  will  tell,"  declared  a  second. 

"  He  favors  his  great  relative  the  Chancellor," 
said  Wentworth.  "  I  remember,  sir,  that  on  one 
occasion  —  " 

The  piazza  clattered  to  hasty  feet.  The  door 
of  the  council-chamber  was  flung  open.  Redfern 
burst  in  on  his  highest  horse,  the  colonel  and  the 
state  senator  dogging  his  heels. 

"  No,  by  God,"  he  rapped  out,  "  I'll  not  with 
draw  ! " 

Drew  slipped  round  behind  the  flustered  ambas 
sadors  and  closed  the  door  against  the  curious 
who  had  marked  Redfern's  furious  passage.  The 
maddened  man  spun  about. 

"Ay,  lock  the  doors,"  he  stormed.  "Cork 
the  windows  !  Bottle  the  dirty  work  in  !  " 

One  or  two  who  really  wished  him  well  darted 
forward  with  remonstrances. 

"  Don't  be  a  damned  fool !  "  urged  a  fellow- 
editor. 


THE    MASTERY  179 

"You're  throwing  away  your  future,"  another 
man  warned. 

He  shook  them  off  and  stalked  across  the  floor 
to  Spedding. 

"  It's  the  Czar  himself  I've  come  to  see,"  he 
vociferated.  "  I've  had  mollycoddling  enough 
from  you  poor-spirited  sheep  who  wear  his  collar." 

Wentworth,  who  stood  nearest,  laid  a  hand 
upon  his  arm. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  he  begged,  "pray  calm  your 
self.  Consider  Mr.  Spedding's  frail  health  —  " 

"  Frail !  He's  throttling  the  will  of  the  con 
vention  with  a  hand  of  iron  !  " 

Spedding's  clear  voice  made  itself  heard. 

"  Redfern,"  he  said  quietly,  "  this  isn't  a 
woman's  congress.  Sit  down." 

The  irate  man  vacillated  an  instant,  glowering 
at  the  thin  white  face  with  its  burning  eyes  ;  then 
dropped  stiffly  into  the  chair  some  one  pushed  to 
his  hand. 

"  I'm  not  getting  white  treatment,"  he  pro 
tested  in  lower  key. 

"  You're  getting  what  Mr.  Livingston  did  not 
ask  —  our  personal  explanation."  He  tersely 
recapitulated  the  situation  as  it  presented  itself 
to  the  conferees.  "  Livingston  admits  the 
reasonableness  of  this  view,"  he  concluded. 


i8o  THE    MASTERY 

"  You,  in  a  more  dispassionate  moment,  will 
see  —  " 

"  No,  I  won't,"  cried  Redfern,  jumping  up. 
"  I've  sought  no  factional  row.  It's  my  belief 
that  Livingston's  a  stool-pigeon  put  up  solely  to 
force  one.  I've  a  clear  lead  in  the  balloting,  and, 
by  heaven,  I  mean  to  stick  it  out !  " 

"You  repudiate  the  united  judgment  of  your 
party  leaders  ?  " 

"  I'll  make  my  stand  against  the  tyranny  of 
one-man  power !  " 

The  room  hushed  at  that.  The  other  party 
had  often  lampooned  and  cartooned  Spedding 
as  an  autocrat ;  the  temporarily  disaffected  within 
his  own  ranks  had  sometimes  murmured ;  till 
this  moment,  however,  no  man  had  had  the  hardi 
hood  to  stand  up  and  defy  him  to  his  face. 
Every  detail  of  the  scene  etched  itself  upon  the 
onlookers'  memories.  Full-blooded,  massive- 
framed,  Redfern  was  the  personification  of  arro 
gant  good  health  ;  Spedding  tarried  palpably  on 
the  brink  where  flesh  and  spirit  part.  But  the 
mastery  never  for  a  moment  hung  in  doubt.  By 
mind  Spedding  had  long  ruled,  by  mind  at  the 
grave's  maw  he  retained  his  supremacy. 

"Another  reformer?"  he  said,  flickering  a 
spectral  smile.  "There  seems  to  be  some  mis- 


THE    MASTERY  181 

conception  as  to  my  poor  part  in  this.  You  are 
free  to  question  these  down-trodden  gentlemen 
about  you.  Begin  your  crusade  at  once." 

Redfern  glared  round  as  if  tempted  to  assume 
the  gauge.  Wentworth  was  regarding  him  with 
wondering  gravity ;  Maddox  looked  him  coldly 
in  the  eye  and  sent  forth  a  lazy  coil  of  smoke  ; 
Drew's  pale  face  was  expressionless  ;  his  avowed 
friends,  even,  turned  away.  One  and  all,  their 
sympathies  lay  with  the  veteran.  The  warmest 
feeling  he  evoked  was  a  sort  of  frigid  pity. 

It  would  have  frozen  some  men;  this  man  — 
the  Firebrand  —  it  only  fanned  to  added  folly. 

"  Bunco  me  out  of  this  nomination,  and  you'll 
rue  it,"  he  proclaimed.  "  There's  a  little  question 
of  succession  the  Legislature  will  settle  in  Janu 
ary  " —  his  eye  sought  Wentworth  —  "and  I've 
friends  !  " 

Spedding's  wan  face  for  an  instant  flamed  red. 

"Threats!"  he  flashed.  "I'll  let  you  know, 
sir,  I'm  not  dead  yet.  Do  your  prettiest  —  and 
be  damned  !  " 

The  night  wore  on ;  those  slept  who  could  — 
and  one  of  them  was  Spedding ;  the  morning 
dawned.  Drew  rose  early,  as  was  his  habit,  and 
sauntered  down  the  deep-shaded  street  whose 


1 82  THE    MASTERY 

wetted  dust  lay  pleasantly  odorous  in  the  sprink 
ler's  wake  troubled  only  as  yet  by  the  normal 
traffic  of  the  villagers.  Entering  Congress  Spring 
Park  he  followed  the  gravelled  paths  round  the 
mimic  lake  to  a  remote  dewy  glen  where  for  an 
hour  he  thought  such  thoughts  as  pleased  him 
best.  A  keeper  coming  to  feed  the  deer  and  a 
squirrel  foraging  independently  brought  breakfast 
to  mind  at  last,  and  he  began  a  reluctant  return. 
A  nursemaid  or  two  had  straggled  in  by  now  and 
the  spring-water  pavilion  held  its  handful  of  the 
faithful  to  whom  Saratoga  yet  remains  literally  a 
watering-place.  Among  these  latter  Drew  unex 
pectedly  spied  McQuade  blarneying  a  comely 
young  woman  who  presided  at  the  fount. 

"  Mineral  water  !  At  this  hour  !  "  he  chaffed  as 
his  lieutenant  came  forward  with  a  widening  smile. 

"That  peerless  goddess,"  McOuade  volunteered, 
"winters  in  an  Albany  millinery  shop.  I'd  drink 
Ingy  ink  if  she  dipped  it  up." 

They  turned  up  Broadway,  quickening  to  its 
daily  unrest.  Gaudy  omnibuses  flashed  round 
from  the  early  trains ;  newsboys  hawked  their 
wares  ;  the  high-pillared  verandas  held  growing 
knots  of  jaded  men  who  took  up  the  ceaseless 
swarming  in  and  out  of  yesterday. 

"  James  Y.   has  been  joggin'   my  memory  that 


THE    MASTERY  183 

he's    still    got    somethin'    comin'    fr'm    Lafayette 
County,"   McQuade  confided.     "  I   came    round 
to  tell  you  last  night,  but  you'd  turned  in." 
"  Redfern  spoke  to  you  of  the  third  ballot  ? " 

"  Right  after  your  pow-wow  at  Spedding's  broke 

» 
up. 

"  What  did  you  reply  ?  " 

"  c  We're  yours  truly  till  th'  third  round  is  over,' 
says  I.  '  If  you  can't  make  good  by  then,  why 
here's  t'  th'  man  that  can,'  I  says.  *  Th'  conven 
tion  can't  sit  all  summer,'  says  I.  ( Ay,  th'  third 
ballot,'  says  he,  scowlin'  most  murderous.  '  Voice 
of  Jacob,  hands  of  Esau,'  says  he,  whatever  that 
may  mean." 

The  New  York  and  Albany  papers  fluttered 
in  uncounted  hands.  "  Livingston  Out !  "  flared 
across  the  page  of  one.  Another  proclaimed  that 
"  Redfern  Stands  Pat !  "  Most  hinted  at  dramatic 
scenes  overnight  with  details  so  fanciful  that  those 
who  knew  the  truth  could  pooh-pooh  the  whole 
story  as  a  mare's  nest.  The  actual  facts  had  not 
leaked  out.  Redfern  excepted,  no  man  had  been 
present  who  was  not  a  stickler  for  harmony  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  compact  organization,  while 
even  Redfern,  his  defiance  issued,  had  become  a 
miracle  of  discretion. 

The  sheet  which  headed  its  convention  news, 


1 84  THE   MASTERY 

"  All  Eyes  On  Spedding  !  "  stated  a  figurative 
truth.  Spedding  was  invisible,  but  all  the  morn 
ing  long  till  the  convention  reassembled,  men 
came  and  went  from  his  door.  From  the  merest 
mite  of  a  district  messenger  to  Wentworth's 
stately  self,  not  one  soul  was  suffered  to  pass  out 
uninterviewed  by  the  little  army  of  news  gatherers 
encamped  round  about,  and  when  Spedding  at 
last  made  his  appearance,  leaning  heavily  on  Drew's 
arm,  it  was  under  fire  of  cameras  sufficient  to 
herald  the  President  himself.  He  paused  a 
moment  at  his  carriage  door,  smiling  at  their 
importunities. 

"  A  tip  on  the  winner  ?  "  he  laughed.  "  What 
do  you  say  to  me,  boys  ?  If  the  candidates  can't 
settle  it  among  themselves,  perhaps  I'll  enter  the 
race." 

The  great  convention  hall,  jammed  to  suffoca 
tion,  cheered  him  as  it  had  cheered  his  every 
coming.  He  was  a  great  prestidigitator  in  the 
everyday  man's  prosaic  imagination,  and  rumor, 
abreast  with  desire,  predicted  that  he  was  about  to 
exhibit  a  most  spectacular  piece  of  black  art  which 
the  roll-call  on  the  third  ballot  would  set  in 
motion. 

It  began  tamely  enough,  however.  Chairman 
after  chairman  made  his  announcement  with  yes- 


THE    MASTERY  185 

terday's  intonation  and  yesterday's  combinations. 
Redfern  was  holding  his  own,  and  Livingston's 
name,  prophecy  to  the  contrary,  was  still  before 
the  convention.  But  as  the  call  went  forward, 
there  developed  a  slight  yet  unmistakable  drift 
to  Scott.  It  was  not  strong  enough  to  alter  the 
situation  materially,  —  Redfern  still  led  and  still 
fell  short  of  victory,  —  but  it  was  a  sign  for  the 
understanding  which  became  plain  print  for  the 
dullest  when  one  of  the  counties  possessing  a 
large  block  of  delegates  attempted  out  of  order 
to  change  its  vote  in  Scott's  favor. 

"Scott  —  Scott!  We  —  want  —  Scott!"  came 
the  chanted  slogan  of  the  Farmer's  Friend's 
friends  in  the  central  gallery. 

Scott  right  speedily  they  had.  Men  scurried 
to  and  fro  among  the  delegations,  red-faced, 
clothing  awry,  bubbling  mystery.  The  fourth 
roll-call  began.  Albany  still  distributed  its  im 
partial  ballots,  but  Allegany  swung  to  Scott; 
Broome  ;  Cattaraugus  ;  and  so,  gathering  momen 
tum  down  the  alphabet,  the  tide  swept,  till  Kings 
County's  votes,  solidly  delivered,  left  the  result 
no  longer  in  doubt.  Redfern,  sitting  to-day  with 
his  own  delegation,  retained  a  stubborn  handful, 
but  he  knew  himself  a  beaten  man.  As  New 
York  voted,  Drew  observed  Maddox  send  him  an 


186  THE    MASTERY 

envoy  who  whispered  earnestly.  Pale  for  once, 
Redfern  nodded  without  speech. 

"  Maddox  handed  him  a  pointer  t'  climb  into 
th'  band  wagon,"  whispered  McQuade,  mirthfully. 

When  the  uproar  following  the  announcement 
of  Scott's  triumph  lulled,  Redfern  got  upon  his 
feet,  and  with  repressed  feeling  moved  that  the 
convention's  choice  be  made  unanimous. 

"  I  declare  I'm  half  sorry  for  the  fellow,"  Sped- 
ding  told  Drew.  "  But  Redfern  spells  Maddox." 

"And   Maddox  —  what?" 

"  Ay,  what  !  " 

As  Drew  finally  quitted  the  convention  hall,  he 
ran  into  Redfern  and  was  about  to  pass  him  with 
a  bow  when  the  editor  surlily  blocked  his  way. 

"  I  know  your  work  when  I  see  it,"  he  said, 
his  voice  tremulous  with  passion.  "  I  know 
whom  to  thank." 

Drew  met  his  black  look  contemptuously. 

"  Don't  play  the  baby  act,"  he  retorted. 
"  Take  off  your  coat  and  hustle  for  the  ticket 
like  a  man." 

Redfern  boiled  over  in  curses. 

"  Don't  you  worry  about  the  ticket,"  he  con 
cluded.  "  I'll  work  as  I've  always  worked. 
And  there's  something  else  I'll  do.  I'll  get 
damned  good  and  square  with  you." 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THAT  evening  Drew  spent  with  Katherine. 
Wentworth  carried  Spedding  home  with  him 
for  a  few  days,  and  he  insisted  that  Drew  should 
at  least  bide  the  night.  Once  before  that  sum 
mer  he  had  been  asked  to  "  The  Beeches,"  but 
politics  had  prevented.  This  time,  after  the  dust 
and  din  of  battle,  the  lure  was  not  to  be  resisted. 

For  coolness  they  supped  on  the  terrace  over 
which  wandered  fitful  river  breezes,  rose-scented 
by  the  garden.  Care-free  seemingly  as  a  boy, 
Spedding  rattled  from  nonsense  to  nonsense  with 
the  girl.  Drew  was  content  to  drop  an  occasional 
word  and  watch  Katherine  at  the  chafing-dish 
around  whose  tending  she  cast  an  unsuspected 
poetry.  Wentworth,  listening  with  his  benign 
look,  presided  over  all  like  some  visiting  Olympian. 

At  twilight  they  two  loitered  in  the  garden 
while  the  old  men  smoked  and  chatted  in  the 
pergola  above. 

"  I'm  all  for  crossing  tea-roses  with  hybrid 
remontants  nowadays,"  the  senator  was  saying. 

187 


188  THE    MASTERY 

"  It's  my  theory,  Henry,  that  a  hardy  Jacque 
minot  or  — 

His  voice  trailed  off  among  names  as  fragrant 
as  the  flowers  themselves.  Drew  turned  to  Kath- 
erine  with  a  laugh. 

"  It  would  amaze  the  world  to  overhear  your 
father  and  Boss  Spedding  to-night,"  he  said. 
"  To  fit  the  popular  notion  they  should  be  plot 
ting  something  diabolic,  say  a  gerrymander." 

"  They  seldom  talk  politics  here." 

"  Just  roses  ?  " 

"Roses  —  gardening  —  their  boyhood.  I  never 
could  understand  why  till  lately.  I  thought  it  dull 
at  '  The  Beeches.'  I  wanted  to  bring  in  the  noisy 
world.  That  was  before  I  had  seen  much  of  it." 

Drew  was  mystified. 

"  Shall  I  ever  know  you ! "  he  exclaimed. 
"  Are  you  ever  twice  the  same  ?  Which  is  the 
real  Katherine  —  politician,  water-witch,  social 
favorite,  cloistered  chatelaine  ?  " 

"  I  would  tell  you  if  I  knew,"  she  laughed. 
"Just  now  I'm  happiest  here  —  at  peace.  I  owe 
it  to  you  that  it  is  as  it  is.  Somehow  —  in  Wash 
ington  —  you  seemed  to  shoulder  everything.  I 
stopped  worrying  over  father's  reelection  then. 
By  and  by,  when  we  reopened  f  The  Beeches,'  I 
realized  that  I  scarcely  thought  of  politics  at  all." 


THE   MASTERY  189 

"Your  letters  told  me  that  —  while  they 
came." 

"  It  seemed  folly  to  worry  with  you  on  guard. 
You  see  I  trust  our  field-marshal." 

How  much,  how  little,  did  it  mean  ?  The 
quivering  poplars  which  edged  the  garden  fil 
tered  a  ghostly  moonlight  upon  her  hair,  her 
face,  her  neck,  upon  the  white  arms  and  shoulders 
gleaming  under  fragile  lace-work ;  while  in  her 
eyes  it  lit  an  intimate  kindness,  not  seen  there 
before,  which  made  his  heart  leap  and  his  lips 
frame  a  message  they  all  but  voiced.  Then 
Wentworth's  call  broke  the  spell.  Afterward, 
his  reason  undrugged  by  her  nearness,  Drew 
counted  the  interruption  fortunate.  It  was  not 
yet  time  to  hazard  an  avowal.  Since  when  were 
trusting  and  loving  synonymous  ? 

Emboldened  by  his  Saratoga  exploit  which  did 
him  no  apparent  injury,  Spedding  a  fortnight 
later  broke  his  doctor's  leading-strings  again,  and 
abruptly  reappeared  at  his  old  haunt  by  the 
ocean.  Here  also  followed  Wentworth  for  over 
Sunday,  bringing  Katherine  and  Harriet  Reeves. 
Forewarned  of  Katherine's  coming  by  Spedding, 
Drew  pushed  forward  Saturday's  work  at  top 
speed,  hurried  down  to  the  sea  by  rail,  avoided 
various  man-traps  set  for  him  by  politicians  in 


i  go  THE    MASTERY 

lobby  and  veranda,  and,  gaining  his  own  room, 
was  amazed  to  encounter  his  nephew. 

"  You,  Dick  !  "   he  exclaimed. 

Harris  grinned  genially. 

"  You  don't  mind  my  making  myself  at  home, 
old  man  ?  "  he  asked.  "  I  could  not  get  a  room 
for  love  or  lucre,  but  a  clerk  I  knew  let  me  take 
your  key." 

"  We'll  have  in  a  cot  or  something,"  Drew 
replied  promptly.  "And  I've  a  little  surprise 
for  you.  Katherine  and  Harriet  are  coming." 

"Have  come,"  Dick  corrected.  "Ages  ago. 
I  had  the  girls  in  surf-bathing  most  of  the 
afternoon." 

Drew's  expression  was  blank. 

"  You  knew  their  plans  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  Katherine  dropped  me  a  line. 
Great  view  from  these  windows  to-day.  You  can 
see  the  Highlands  and  the  Hook  distinctly." 

Drew  addressed  himself  thoughtfully  to  his 
toilet.  Since  when  had  Katherine  resumed  letter- 
writing  with  Dick  ?  An  elaborate  "  Ahem  !  " 
presently  notified  him  that  his  clothes  were  the 
subject  of  earnest  inspection. 

"  Well  ?  "   he  said,  a  trifle  consciously. 

"Thunder!  But  you're  looking  youthful," 
Dick  observed.  "  What  brand  of  elixir  of  life  do 


THE    MASTERY  191 

you  tipple  ?  Stunning  suit  that !  New  York 
tailoring,  I  presume  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  New  York  hat  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Ditto  shirt  —  shoes  —  tie  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"Thunder!"  reiterated  Dick.  "What's  got 
into  you  ?  The  girls  will  think  I'm  your  uncle." 

Mere  clothes  could  not  fortify  Drew  against 
a  depression  which,  beginning  now,  grew  denser 
with  each  succeeding  hour.  It  did  not  conduce 
to  youthfulness  in  a  man  who  had  had  no  time 
in  his  busy  life  for  dancing  to  see  Katherine  float 
through  a  waltz  or  two-step  in  Dick's  arms.  Nor 
was  he  much  mollified  by  her  sitting  out  one  or 
two  dances  with  him,  since  those  particular  num 
bers  failed  somehow  to  interest  Dick  who  clung 
continually  at  elbow.  He  was  not  happy  by  day 
when,  upon  shaking  off  the  politicians  for  an  hour 
with  Katherine,  he  would  find  her  monopolized 
by  his  nephew ;  and  he  came  to  think  it  some 
thing  more  than  perverse  fate  that  Katherine 
should  always  pair  with  Dick,  did  the  four  stroll 
by  the  sea.  Finally,  during  the  last  precious 
hours  of  Sunday  evening,  he  chanced  suddenly 
upon  them  in  an  obscure  corner  of  the  great 


192  THE   MASTERY 

veranda,  and  touched  the  very  nadir  of  his 
despair.  He  saw  instantly  that  he  had  snapped 
the  thread  of  a  most  intimate  talk,  and  he  could 
not  swear  that  Harris  did  not  drop  Katherine's 
hand.  Both  were  palpably  out  of  countenance 
and  greeted  him  with  unnatural  gayety.  Casting 
about  for  any  pretext  to  take  himself  away,  he 
asked  Harriet's  whereabouts  and  was  directed 
with  unseemly  haste.  He  had  no  consuming 
desire  for  Harriet's  society,  nor  had  she  appar 
ently  much  inclination  to  talk  to  him.  She 
seemed  pensive,  distrait,  unhappy  like  himself. 

In  the  morning  the  party  broke  up,  Spedding 
leaving  with  the  others.  The  veteran  now  real 
ized  that  Saratoga  had  registered  the  high-water 
mark  of  his  revived  energy,  and  returned  to  the 
humdrum  of  the  physician's  rule  without  protest, 
almost  with  relief.  Drew  himself  passed  no  more 
nights  at  the  beach.  The  state  headquarters  stood 
open  day  and  night  and  the  storm-centre  of  the 
national  campaign  seethed  with  feverish  activity 
scarcely  a  bow-shot  away.  New  York  was  play 
ing  its  familiar  role  of  the  pivotal  state,  and, 
though  he  never  doubted  the  result,  Drew 
worked  and  made  others  work  as  if  defeat  were 
a  possibility  not  remote. 

The  end  came  at  last.     He  harmonized  his  last 


THE    MASTERY  193 

factional  row,  received  his  last  up-state  report, 
denied  his  last  roorback,  ridiculed  the  rival  state 
chairman's  latest  claim,  issued  his  own  final  fore 
cast,  and  journeyed  home  to  vote,  stopping  briefly 
in  Albany  for  a  word  with  Spedding.  At  each  of 
their  recent  conferences  Drew  had  thought  the 
old  man  gentler  and  more  silent,  but  to-day,  as 
the  competent  prime  minister  of  his  own  choice, 
to  whom  he  had  shifted  burden  after  burden, 
went  over  the  advices  from  state  and  nation,  he 
was  keenly  alert. 

"  We've  got  'em  on  the  run,  Phil,"  he  said 
jubilantly.  "  You've  been  all  that  I  hoped  of 
you.  You  put  your  heart  into  it  this  time. 
You've  found  it's  a  game  that's  a  game,  eh  ? " 

Drew  gave  him  the  answer  he  sought. 

"  But  it  wears,  it  wears,"  Spedding  added,  as 
they  parted.  "  Once  I  had  nerves  like  yours. 
Now,  little  as  you've  left  me  to  do,  I  feel  the 
tension.  I  shall  persuade  this  sawbones  of  mine 
to  ship  me  off  awhile.  I  have  my  eye  on  a  spot 
in  some  most  '  delectable  mountains.'  It's  one 
of  those  places  where  you  loaf  because  you  must. 
Nothing  more  exciting  than  the  sunset,  you  know. 
And  sleep  !  It's  a  famous  place  to  sleep." 

Drew  voted  betimes  on  the  morrow,  and  mads 


194  THE   MASTERY 

ready  for  an  early  return  to  New  York.  Dick, 
with  whom  he  breakfasted,  published  his  inten 
tion  of  accompanying  him. 

"There's  no  place  like  New  York  on  Election 
Night,"  he  proclaimed.  "  Paris  en  fete  is  the 
nearest  parallel." 

"  But  the  Post-Messenger  ?  " 

"  Oh,  the  boys  will  be  on  the  jump  to-night, 
of  course,"  Dick  answered  easily.  "  Corn  in  a 
popper  is  no  comparison.  No  ordinary  business 
could  pry  me  away  from  it,  but  I've  something 
scheduled  in  the  little  hamlet  of  New  York  that 
discounts  election  returns.  I  mean  to  put  you 
on  as  soon  as  I  decently  can,"  he  added  in  a 
sudden  burst  of  affectionate  confidence.  "  I'd 
like  to  tell  you  this  blessed  minute,  for  after  a 
fashion  I  owe  you  my  good  luck.  I'm  under  a 
sort  of  embargo,  however.  It  wouldn't  be  play 
ing  fair  by  her,  and  she  —  oh,  by  gravy  !  I  must 
muzzle  myself  right  here  and  now." 

Drew  had  imagined  that  he  definitely  accepted 
the  idea  of  Katherine's  and  Dick's  reconciliation. 
He  knew  now  that  he  had  all  the  time  hoped 
otherwise.  What  did  the  young  fellow's  irrepress 
ible  elation,  his  slip  of  the  tongue,  his  sudden 
flight  to  New  York,  signify  but  the  rapt  mood  of 
an  accepted  lover  !  Katherine  was  in  New  York. 


THE    MASTERY  195 

Only  that  morning  he  had  come  upon  her  name 
and  the  senator's  among  the  hotel  arrivals. 

Something  in  his  face  gave  Harris  pause. 

"  You  look  done  up,  old  man,"  he  remarked. 
"  The  campaign  has  been  too  many  for  you." 

Drew  braced  himself. 

"  Wait  till  you  see  the  enemy,"  he  advised. 

"  But  you  are  off  color,"  Dick  continued  his 
galling  diagnosis.  "  You've  overtaxed  yourself. 
A  minute  ago  you  looked  like  putty.  You're 
thinner,  too,  I  see  now,  and  you're  off  your  feed. 
Your  breakfast  lies  there  untasted." 

"  Hang  it,  man,  leave  my  symptoms  alone  !  " 
Drew  snapped.  "  You're  babbling  like  an  old 
woman." 

"  And  you're  as  nervous  as  a  bridegroom,"  con 
cluded  Dick,  soothingly.  "  Instead  of  posting 
back  to  New  York  you  had  better  see  a  doctor." 

Drew  laid  firmer  hold  upon  his  self-control, 
but  young  Harris  found  him  a  preoccupied  travel 
ling  companion.  The  drear  November  landscape 
reflected  his  mental  outlook.  He  had  been  an 
intruder.  Youth,  arrogant  youth,  had  taught  him 
his  place.  The  humiliation  of  it,  that  he  should 
have  again  brought  upon  himself  the  bitter  lesson 
of  the  liner  !  The  burden  of  the  car  trucks'  rhyth 
mic  chant  was,  "  Youth  —  Youth  —  Youth  !  " 


CHAPTER   XVII 

IT  was  growing  dusk  as  they  swung  into  the 
city.  The  long  monotonous  vistas  of  the  cross 
streets  were  dotted  with  bonfires.  The  fanfare 
of  discordant  horns  had  begun.  Harris  leaned 
eagerly  forward  over  the  apron  of  the  hansom  as 
they  drove  from  the  station  to  the  hotel,  his  gay 
mood  perfectly  attuned  to  all  he  saw.  Drew  re 
laxed  in  his  corner,  with  lack-lustre  eye,  nerve- 
tortured  by  the  swelling  din.  Madison  Square 
as  they  gained  it  was  taking  on  its  evening  bravery. 
The  garish  electric  advertisements  already  flung 
their  fiery  messages  across  the  night. 

"  Pickles  !  Cigars  !  "  fulminated  Dick.  "  To 
what  base  uses  are  those  flaming  symbols  chained  ! 
They  should  spell  some  tremendous  prophecy." 

"  A  marriage  ?  " 

Dick  fenced  at  him  with  a  playful  forefinger, 
the  mirthlessness  of  the  man's  laugh  all  unre 
marked. 

"  'Ware  the  embargo,"  he  warned. 

The  hotel  was  filling  with  politicians  and  sight- 
196 


THE    MASTERY  197 

seers,  and  a  reporter  made  a  dive  for  the  well- 
known  figure  of  the  state  chairman  at  the  very 
door. 

"Yes,  I  am  to  receive  the  returns  here,"  Drew 
answered.  "  Yes,  the  Weather  Bureau  gave  us 
our  sort  to-day.  You  might  almost  call  it c  offen 
sive  partisanship  '  on  the  forecaster's  part.  No, 
I've  nothing  to  add  to  my  estimate  of  yesterday. 
Something  to  say  later  ?  Perhaps." 

When  Harris  rejoined  him  presently  for  dinner, 
it  was  with  undiminished  good  spirits,  and  in  full 
evening  array. 

"  Not  exactly  a  knockabout  costume,  is  it  ?  " 
he  smiled.  "  But  then  it's  a  very  special  kind  of 
returns  I'm  to  receive." 

Drew's  appetite  still  flagged,  but  Harris  let  it 
pass  unnoticed.  He  was  in  far  too  sublimated  a 
frame  of  mind  for  food  and  hurried  absently  away 
at  the  conclusion  of  their  unsocial  meal.  His 
uncle  saw  him  depart  with  blended  misery  and 
relief. 

It  was  time  for  definite  news  from  the  brown- 
stone  precincts  at  least,  and  he  passed  through  the 
growing  throngs  of  the  corridors  to  the  apartments 
regularly  set  apart  for  the  state  headquarters. 
The  main  reception  room  resounded  with  the 
metallic  chatter  of  a  half  a  dozen  telegraph  instru- 


198  THE    MASTERY 

ments.  A  county  committeeman  of  local  promi 
nence  was  reading  aloud  the  returns  as  received 
from  the  operators,  while  hard  by  figured  a  vet 
eran  of  unnumbered  political  battles,  his  table 
littered  with  comparative  data  of  other  years. 

"  This  represents  a  gain  of  twelve  thousand 
over  the  total  vote  cast  by  the  same  wards  in  the 
last  gubernatorial  campaign,"  the  announcer  was 
saying  as  Drew  looked  in  upon  the  tobacco-fogged 
room.  "  Compared  with  the  figures  of — '  The 
sentence  lost  itself  in  a  tumult  of  cheers. 

Drew  entered  the  quieter  atmosphere  of  his 
own  office  to  which  the  returns  were  being 
steadily  forwarded  from  the  greater  room.  This 
chamber  had  its  own  wire  as  well  and  was  in  direct 
communication  by  telephone  with  the  national 
headquarters  across  the  square.  The  chairman 
of  the  executive  committee  was  reading  the  slips 
as  they  came,  with  perhaps  five  or  six  auditors 
who  hailed  Drew's  entrance  with  a  fire  of  jocular 
greetings,  to  which  he  replied  in  kind.  He  con 
tributed  to  a  pool  on  Scott's  plurality  in  the  city, 
which  Maddox,  dropping  in  on  his  way  to  his 
own  haunts  farther  down  town,  had  instituted, 
and  took  a  chair  beside  Wentworth  who  sat 
placidly  in  the  corner  where  Spedding  had  pre 
sided  so  often  in  other  years.  No  stranger  to  the 


THE    MASTERY  199 

group  would  have  dreamed  that  the  senator  had 
aught  at  stake.  He  listened  benignantly  to  the 
returns,  making  no  comment.  When  he  opened 
his  lips,  he  spoke  of  topics  far  removed  from  the 
throbbing  life  immediately  at  hand.  Even  when 
Drew,  about  ten  o'clock,  was  able  to  turn  to  him 
with  the  assurance  that  the  legislative  returns  made 
his  reelection  to  the  Senate  beyond  peradventure 
sure,  his  serenity  was  unruffled. 

"  I  never  doubted  the  people's  saving  common 
sense,"  he  said  tranquilly. 

Drew  and  his  fellow-chairman  exchanged  grim 
smiles.  They  knew  by  what  heroic  trephining  of 
the  people's  indifferent  skull  the  saving  common 
sense  had  come. 

"  Shall  we  send  Katherine  a  message  ?  "  Drew 
asked. 

"She  is  at  the  theatre,"  answered  Wentworth. 
"  I  shall  join  her  presently.  We're  promised 
over  at  national  headquarters  for  the  supper. 
You  will  go,  of  course  ?  " 

"No." 

"  But  you  ought,  sir !  " 

"  Surely,"  added  somebody  overhearing.  "  Scott 
told  me  yesterday  that  you  deserved  a  cabinet 
portfolio  for  the  work  you've  done." 

Drew  shook  his  head.    Wentworth  had  prodded 


200  THE    MASTERY 

his  heartache.  It  was  to  the  theatre  Dick  had 
gone  with  her !  He  sat  in  dull  apathy  after 
Wentworth  left,  though  the  air  pulsed  with  the 
note  of  a  sweeping  victory  in  state  and  nation. 
With  a  face  so  masked  that  even  the  newspaper 
folk  noted  it  in  their  fevered  rush,  he  summed  up 
the  harvest  of  his  summer's  toil. 

"  We  claim  New  York  by  forty  thousand,"  he 
said  tersely.  "  Scott's  plurality  will  fall  but  a 
shade  below  the  President's.  An  increase  on 
joint  ballot  in  the  Legislature  insures  Senator 
Wentworth's  election  in  January  to  succeed  him 
self." 

One  of  the  reporters  met  and  recognized 
Harris  outside. 

"  That  uncle  of  yours  is  a  cool  one,"  he  sung 
out.  "  Wish  I  had  his  Bessemer-steel  nerves. 
I'll  do  him  in  a  character  sketch  some  day." 

"  Nobody  like  him,"  vaunted  Dick. 

Drew  was  sending  congratulatory  telegrams  to 
Spedding  and  the  President-elect  when  Harris 
swooped  upon  him. 

"  Come  out  into  the  rumpus,"  he  insisted. 
"  It's  lovely." 

Drew  rounded  his  signature  to  its  last  precise 
up-stroke  before  he  looked  up.  Dick's  lapel  bore 
a  diminutive  rooster,  and  he  carried  a  tin  horn  of 


THE    MASTERY  201 

a  yard's  length.  His  face  beamed  an  extravagant 
satisfaction  with  life.  With  a  sudden  magnani 
mous  resolve  to  meet  the  lad  halfway  in  his  great 
hour,  Drew  put  out  his  hand. 

"  You've  evidently  got  your  returns,  boy,"  he 
said. 

Dick  wrung  the  proffered  hand  ecstatically. 

"  Come  out,  come  out,"  he  urged.  "  I'll  tell 
you  all  about  it  outside.  The  embargo's  raised. 
She  said  I  could  tell  you.  She  likes  you  herself." 

"  That's  good,"  Drew  managed  to  return. 

"  Isn't  it  ?     You'll  be  her  uncle  too,  you  see." 

Harris  left  him  no  time  for  wincing.  With  a 
rapturous  blast  of  his  horn  he  dragged  Drew 
forth  into  the  whooping  pandemonium  of  the 
streets.  A  titanic  pencil  of  white  radiance  from 
the  Garden's  searchlight  swept  the  sky  ;  rockets 
crashed  in  swift  succession  from  the  building's 
base ;  the  converging  canyons  of  Fifth  Avenue 
and  Broadway  glowed  red  and  green  with  Greek 
fire ;  in  the  nearer  branches  of  the  park  fell 
a  silver  rain.  When  a  street-car  laboriously 
stemmed  the  human  tide,  the  crowd  drummed 
its  yellow  sides  deliriously  and  surged  in  upon  its 
wake.  The  din  was  incessant. 

"  Now  you  know  how  I  feel,"  shouted  the 
lover. 


202  THE    MASTERY 

Drew  nodded  comprehendingly. 

"  FOUR  !     FOUR  !     FOUR-YEARS-MORE  !  " 

The  throng  cleft  for  a  company  of  eminently 
respectable  rollickers  of  both  sexes  —  young, 
middle-aged,  gray-haired  —  marching  two  and 
two  with  megaphones  improvised  from  news 
papers. 

"  Fall  in,"  commanded  Dick,  swinging  Drew 
into  line.  "  Four !  Four !  Four-years-more  ! 
No ;  that  doesn't  fit  my  case,"  he  interjected. 
"  Four  !  Four  !  Four-hundred-years-more  !  But 
I'm  leaving  you  in  the  dark,  and  I've  already 
kept  you  there  too  long.  Many's  the  time  I've 
wanted  to  confide.  Still,  I  guess  you  weren't  so 
blind.  It  seemed  sometimes  as  if  you  must 
know.  Take  that  last  night  at  the  beach  for 

instance,   when   you    came    upon    Katherine    and 

» 
me. 

Drew  assented  limply  :  — 

"  I  did  suspect  something." 

"  I  should  think  you  would.  It  was  getting 
mighty  interesting  about  that  time.  Whew,  but 
it's  been  a  siege  !  She  couldn't  seem  to  size  up 
her  own  feelings  and  tell  whether  she  cared  more 
for  Man  or  a  man,  and  she  is  such  a  conscientious 
girl  that  she  didn't  want  to  give  me  even  the  cold 
comfort  of  hoping.  Toward  the  end  I  got  des- 


THE    MASTERY  203 

perate  and  tried  jealousy,  and  with  Katherine's 
help  —  " 

"  Katherine's  help  !  "  Drew's  fingers  tightened 
on  Dick's  arm.  "  She  !  She  !  In  heaven's  name, 
boy,  which  girl  are  you  going  to  marry  ?  " 

"Which!" 

"  Which  ? " 

"  Why,  Harriet,  of  course  !  " 

They  eddied  into  a  doorway,  the  riotous  tide 
rolling  by.  For  a  round-eyed  instant  Harris 
puzzled.  Then  he  fell  violently  to  pumping 
Drew's  arm. 

"  And  you  thought  all  along  I  meant  Kath- 
erine,"  he  cried. 

Drew  rescued  his  aching  member  and  answered 
nothing. 

"  Yet  you  congratulated  me,  and  listened  to  my 
drool,  and  —  " 

"  Well,  why  not  ? "  Drew  countered,  rallying 
his  wits. 

"  Why  not !  "  Dick  thrust  at  him  with  his  tin 
horn,  handling  it  like  a  rapier.  "  Why  not !  As 
if  I  couldn't  see  with  half  an  eye  that  Katherine 
is  the  only  — "  He  broke  off  to  wind  an  ear- 
splitting  blast. 

"  Shut  up,"  said  Drew,  towing  him  into  the 
stream  again. 


204  THE    MASTERY 

"  Why  not !  Why  not !  Why  not  !  Lord 
Harry,  it's  as  plain  as  that  theatre  sign  up  the 
street." 

"  It's  plain  you're  a  donkey." 

"  We'll  make  it  a  double  wedding." 

"  I'll  make  it  a  funeral,  you  jackanapes  !  Have 
some  chivalry  about  you  for  Miss  Wentworth. 
I've  never  broached  a  word  about  marriage." 

"  But  you  will,"  Dick  retorted,  subsiding  into 
happy  chuckles.  "You  will." 

At  the  young  fellow's  suggestion  they  laid  a 
course  for  the  newspaper  office  around  which  his 
metropolitan  life  had  circled,  and  Dick  furtively 
eyed  the  springiness  that  had  suddenly  come  into 
Drew's  gait.  He  hummed  the  songs  of  the 
crowd,  laughed  at  its  jokes,  condoned  its  follies. 
Fetching  a  wide  detour  of  the  roaring  mob  before 
the  great  journal's  bulletins,  they  reached  a  rear 
entrance  and  climbed  to  the  main  workroom  of 
the  staff. 

"  Easy  to  see  white  man  mow,  as  the  Indian 
said  who  sat  on  the  fence,"  Dick  murmured, 
adapting  his  tone  to  the  hush  which  brooded  over 
half  a  hundred  desks  where  as  many  men  in 
shirt-sleeves  bent  their  tousled  heads  over  tabulat 
ing  sheets  and  all  the  paraphernalia  of  Election 
Night.  "I've  'mowed'  here  with  a  vengeance 


THE    MASTERY  205 

and  can  play  Indian  now  in  good  conscience. 
But  it  will  amuse  you  more  to  watch  the  fellows 
handling  the  bulletin,"  he  added,  moving  round 
the  room  as  the  great  audience  of  the  street 
cheered  a  fresh  report. 

He  nodded  here  and  yonder  to  some  acquaint 
ance  under  a  droplight,  whose  eyes  he  intercepted, 
but  whose  hands  scribbled  on  without  pause. 
Drew  also  recognized  familiar  faces  among  workers 
and  onlookers  alike,  and  one  of  the  latter  pounced 
upon  him  for  his  estimate  of  the  new  President's 
majority  in  the  Electoral  College.  As  he  released 
himself  Harris,  whom  a  telegraph  editor  had 
beckoned,  came  rushing  back  to  him  and  extended 
a  yellow  sheet. 

"  From  Albany !  "   he  exclaimed.     <c  Spedding ! " 
Drew  caught  the  typewritten  paper  from  him. 
Its  beginning  ran  something  like  this  :  — 

"  Hnry  Spddng  is  dyg.  Strckn  svngwth  send  prlytcattcktvtrn 
Idr  h  gradly  snk  —  ' 

"  Dying  !  "  Drew  cried.  "  No,  no  !  Dick, 
boy,  read  this  to  me  !  Read  !" 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

HARRIS  rapidly  deciphered  the  flimsy  which 
outlined  the  fact  of  Spedding's  second  seizure 
that  evening,  and  the  certitude  that  his  life  was 
ebbing  to  its  close. 

"  I  must  go  to  him,"  Drew  said,  and  started 
for  the  street. 

Dick  was  devouring  a  second  despatch.  He 
overtook  Drew  upon  the  stair. 

"  It's  no  use,  Philip,"  he  said  gently. 

"  No  use  ?  " 

Then  he  understood.  Spedding  had  made  his 
last  governor.  While  the  land  rang  with  the 
acclaim  of  victory  he  had  slipped  away  to  his 
Delectable  Mountains,  to  his  "  famous  place  to 
sleep."  The  probable,  the  expected,  and  yet 
somehow  unexpected,  had  swiftly  come  to  pass. 
He  had  lost  his  great  mentor,  his  leader,  his 
friend  of  friends.  He  faced  his  great  responsi 
bility  alone. 

They  found  themselves  in  the  open  air.  The 
far-reaching  sea  of  upturned  faces  levelled  its 

206 


THE    MASTERY  207 

collective  gaze  upon  a  just  displayed  bulletin  in  a 
silence  which  was  strange  to  the  time  and  place. 

"They  know  it,  too,"  Dick  said. 

His  words  roused  Drew. 

"  The  senator  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  It  must  be 
broken  gently  to  him.  He  thought  poor  Sped- 
ding  immortal." 

Harris  peered  here  and  there  for  a  cab  and 
spied  one  idling  at  the  farther  curb.  They 
charged  across  the  street,  hurdling  the  fender  of 
a  clanging  trolley,  and  with  a  shouted  direction 
flung  themselves  into  the  vehicle.  As  they 
lurched  into  a  cross  street  to  gain  a  clear  course 
the  sombre  bulletin  gave  place  to  the  latest  news 
from  Indiana,  and  with  a  yell  of  relief  the  crowd 
threw  off  its  unwelcome  musings  on  mortality. 

"  Beasts,"  Dick  muttered,  "  callous  beasts  !  " 
Yet  in  the  next  breath  he  caught  himself  thinking 
of  his  fiancee's  loveliness  and  added,  "  But  it's 
life." 

Drew  sat  well  forward  upon  his  seat,  poised  to 
spring.  He  had  the  door  ajar  before  they  sighted 
the  lights  of  the  square,  and  leaving  the  cabman 
to  Dick,  was  out  and  off  before  they  fairly 
reached  the  jam  surging  around  the  pale  sky 
scraper  where  the  national  headquarters  were 
housed.  Struggling  through  to  the  elevators,  he 


208  THE    MASTERY 

a  moment  later  attained  the  national  committee's 
rooms,  now  rakish,  disordered,  and  well-nigh  for 
saken.  Champagne  bottles  strewn  here,  there, 
and  everywhere  showed  by  their  wreckage  how 
high  the  tide  of  jubilation  had  swelled.  Harris, 
brought  up  fuming  at  the  entrance  for  lack  of  a 
card  of  admission,  noted  that  even  the  messenger 
boys  streamed  by  on  unsteady  legs. 

Drew  issued  hurriedly  from  the  door  and  made 
again  for  the  elevators. 

"  Nearly  everybody  who's  sober  is  on  the  tenth 
floor  at  supper,"  he  said.  "  Wentworth  and 
Katherine  are  there." 

"  They've  not  heard  then  ?  " 

"  Down  here,  yes.  It's  been  kept  from  the 
tables." 

The  applause  pointing  some  speaker's  happily 
rounded  phrase  pattered  down  to  them  as  the 
elevator  rose  in  its  shaft,  and  the  scent  of  the 
flower-bedecked  tables  permeated  quite  to  the  land 
ing.  From  a  doorway  Drew  reconnoitred  the 
banquet  room.  Perhaps  two  hundred  persons 
—  dignitaries  civic  and  national,  their  wives  and 
daughters  —  sat  in  the  soft  glow  of  the  shaded 
lights.  Halfway  down  the  apartment  he  glimpsed 
Katherine  between  a  state  official  and  a  multi- 
millionnaire.  Wentworth  was  yet  farther  removed. 


THE    MASTERY  209 

Pencilling  a  hasty  message,  Drew  intercepted  a 
waiter.  At  the  same  instant  Harris  perceived  a 
newcomer  at  the  turn  of  the  corridor  perform  the 
same  act ;  the  man's  face  seemed  vaguely  familiar. 

Marking  his  messenger's  flight,  Drew  saw  his 
card  laid  at  Katherine's  plate.  She  rose  directly 
and  came  out  to  him. 

"  You  have  been  a  prince  of  field-marshals," 
she  said  warmly,  offering  her  hand.  "  I  owe  you 
more  than  I  —  But  what  is  it  ?  "  —  the  gravity 
of  his  look  arresting  her.  "  You've  bad  news  ! 
There's  no  mistake  about  —  about  the  Legisla 
ture  ?  Don't  tell  me  it's  in  doubt !  " 

"  It's  not  the  election,  Katherine.  It's  Sped- 
ding.  Spedding  has  got  through." 

She  blanched  as  she  grasped  the  significance  of 
his  message. 

"  And  we've  sat  here  !  "  she  said  in  passionate 
self-reproach  as  a  gale  of  laughter  swept  the  room. 

Drew  launched  hurriedly  into  the  ways  and 
means  of  apprising  Wentworth. 

"  It  would  best  come  from  you,"  he  suggested. 

"Yes,"  she  assented. 

"  Shall  we  call  him  out,  or  wait  till  this  ghastly 
thing  ends  ?  Not  a  soul  in  there  knows." 

She  shrank  from  the  gay  jingle  of  glass  kissing 
glass. 


2io  THE    MASTERY 

"  It  may  leak  out  any  moment.  And  I  couldnt 
go  back  !  Send  him  to  the  cloak-room.  I'll  tell 
him  in  the  cloak-room." 

Harris  startled  them  with  an  exclamation. 

"  The  senator  has  left  the  table,"  he  warned. 
"  He's  making  for  the  other  door." 

They  swung  round,  staring  up  the  corridor. 

"  That  man  is  a  reporter,"  Dick  added  suddenly. 
"  I  remember  him  now.  He  works  for  the 
yellowest  rag  in  Park  Row." 

They  were  too  late  to  temper  the  blow.  His 
face  like  the  marble  panel  he  grasped  for  support, 
the  old  man  received  the  fact  at  its  baldest.  He 
uttered  no  sound,  but  his  face  seemed  to  age  a 
decade  before  their  eyes.  They  led  him  away 
like  a  sleep-walker,  and  when  he  passed  finally 
from  the  building  to  a  carriage,  he  moved  with 
the  shambling  gait  of  a  nonagenarian.  As  they 
drove  through  a  city  spent  with  revelry  the  dull 
glow  of  dying  bonfires  played  intermittently 
across  his  wan  face.  Katherine,  who  sat  caressing 
his  passive  fingers,  was  only  less  white.  Drew 
and  Harris  watched  in  impotent  pity. 

"  I'll  take  the  carriage  and  fetch  Harriet,"  Dick 
whispered,  casting  about  for  a  comforter.  "  This 
is  a  woman's  work." 

It  was  preeminently   Harriet's  work ;  and    till 


THE    MASTERY  211 

Mrs.  Austin  came  to  relieve  her  she  was  a  tower 
of  strength  to  Katherine,  and,  by  indirection,  to 
Wentworth.  There  was  an  alarming  fainting 
spell  during  the  night,  but  it  was  a  more  resolute 
man  who  journeyed  to  "  The  Beeches  "  on  the 
morrow,  and  who,  two  days  later,  stood  in  Albany 
beside  the  grave  of  his  lifelong  friend.  Yet  he 
was  not  the  Wentworth  of  before.  Spedding  had 
knit  him  to  the  present  more  intimately  than  he 
realized  till  death  cut  the  bond  ;  and  as  he  stood 
alone  his  years  appalled  him.  Old  age,  the 
scouted,  refused  longer  to  be  gainsaid,  and  set 
its  dread  sign  manual  upon  him  in  characters 
he  could  not  mistake.  Katherine  beheld  them 
magnified. 

Drew  also  passed  a  significant  milestone.  Each 
day  bore  witness  that  he  had  entered  upon  the 
"  dukedom."  The  press's  access  of  interest  in 
his  personality  hardly  waited  upon  Spedding's 
burial.  Its  speculations  jostled  the  obituaries. 
The  fiction  of  government  by  triumvirate  was  in 
general  discarded.  The  term  triumvir  lapsed 
from  current  speech.  To  the  enemy  the  self- 
contained  chairman  of  the  state  committee 
straightway  became  Boss  Drew,  while  the  para- 
graphers  of  his  own  party,  hunting  new  catch 
words  for  new  conditions,  hit  upon  the  politic 


212  THE    MASTERY 

title  of  First  Consul.  The  cartoonists  seized 
upon  this  suggestion  joyously.  Thenceforth 
when  Drew  came  upon  himself  in  their  conceits, 
his  face  looked  out  at  him  from  Napoleonic 
trappings. 

Returning  to  "  The  Beeches  "  upward  of  a  week 
after  the  lost  leader's  funeral,  Drew  was  shocked 
at  the  havoc  wrought  in  the  senator. 

"  He  broods  his  days  through,"  Katherine  said, 
"  and  his  nights  bring  no  rest.  He  moans  in  his 
sleep." 

"  Are  your  days  and  nights  happier  ?  You  are 
all  eyes,  Katherine." 

"  When  he  is  happy,  I  shall  be,"  she  answered. 

It  seemed  to  Drew  that  they  had  come  nearer 
than  before  in  this  time  of  trouble.  In  mind  and 
body  she  had  leaned  to  his  support.  It  was  no 
time  to  speak  what  his  heart  prompted,  but  he 
lived  in  the  primrose  light  of  a  great  hope,  and 
threw  himself  into  a  plan  for  her  good. 

"A  change  is  imperative  for  the  senator,"  he 
told  Mrs.  Austin.  "  How  shall  we  manage 
it?" 

"  I  think  the  return  to  Washington  will  mend 
matters." 

"  But  Congress  will  not  meet  for  nearly  three 
weeks,  and  a  fortnight  more  of  this  will  break 


THE    MASTERY 


213 


your  brother's  constitution  and  Katherine's 
heart." 

Mrs.  Austin  observed  him  with  quickened 
interest. 

"  What  Katherine  needs  is  a  shaking,"  she 
returned.  "  She  never  used  to  be  bothered  with 
nerves.  As  for  a  change,  I  have  suggested  Lake- 
wood,  Asheville,  and  half  a  dozen  other  places 
which  John  has  vetoed  in  turn.  He  cares  very 
little  for  winter  resorts.  Hot  Springs  is  the  only 
one  he  ever  thought  beneficial,  but  of  course 
Arkansas  is  out  of  the  question." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  Now  suppose  you  stop  sug 
gesting,  and  begin  to  order.  Is  the  local  doctor 
a  diplomat  ? " 

"  He's  as  brusque  as  his  name,  which  is  Savage, 
but  he  is  the  friend  of  half  the  county." 

"Just  the  person.  Have  him  drop  in  this 
evening  —  socially,  say  —  and  bully  the  senator. 
When  he  prescribes  Hot  Springs,  I'll  stand  ready 
to  block  all  objections  with  a  private  car.  Such 
luxuries  come  easily  to  us  railroad  men,  you 
know." 

The  admiral's  wife  instantly  seconded  the  plan. 
She  had  grown  to  like  this  man  of  quick  decision 
and  unbounded  energy,  who  was  so  much  bigger 
than  he  seemed. 


214  THE    MASTERY 

"  I  can  see  why  they  let  you  manage  cam 
paigns,"  she  laughed.  "  You  never  lack  a 
plan." 

"  But  it's  the  execution  that  counts.  All  rests 
with  you  and  the  savage  doctor.  You'd  go  along, 
wouldn't  you  ?  " 

"  If  it  seemed  best." 

"  And  do  inveigle  the  admiral.  He  is  sure 
death  to  the  blues." 

"  I  think  it's  as  important  to  inveigle  you. 
Do  come." 

He  would  have  given  more  than  he  was  pre 
pared  to  say  to  Katherine's  aunt  for  the  privilege 
of  sharing  those  intimate  days.  If  it  were  but 
the  niece  who  persuaded !  If  Katherine  should 
persuade  ! 

"  If  I   see  my  way,"   he  half  promised. 

A  word,  a  look,  would  have  attached  him  to 
the  party,  but  while  Katherine  was  prodigal  of 
thanks  for  the  stratagem  to  which  Wentworth 
docilely  yielded,  neither  word  nor  look  was  forth 
coming,  and  the  way  he  saw  and  followed  was  not 
hers. 

His  own  path  did  not  lack  distractions.  Mad- 
dox  was  restive ;  Redfern  was  exceeding  busy. 
According  to  the  Mail,  the  hour  of  a  new  era 
had  struck.  One-man  power  should  henceforth 


THE    MASTERY  215 

be  a  stranger  to  the  organization  of  the  party. 
Every  man  should  have  his  chance.  Time  dis 
covered  that  these  sentiments  had  their  specific 
bearing  upon  the  election  of  a  successor  to  Went- 
worth,  whose  broken  health  the  Mail  loudly 
deplored,  and  other  newspapers  about  the  state 
began  to  discuss.  The  echoes  even  penetrated 
Arkansas  where  a  girl,  already  wracked  by  anx 
iety,  read,  believed,  and  uttered  a  cry  of  pain. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

DREW  consulted  a  railroad  guide  and  set  in 
motion  certain  machinery  which  traced  the  easterly 
progress  of  a  private  car  designated  "  naught 
seven."  He  chose  to  read  into  Katherine's  letter 
a  personal  summons,  the  word  for  which  he  had 
waited.  To  join  her  at  Washington  presented 
too  tedious  an  alternative,  and  by  dint  of  a  hur 
ried  night  journey  he  greeted  the  senator's  party 
at  breakfast  just  as  their  train  left  Ohio  behind 
and  sped  forward  into  the  gray  morning  which 
rose  tardily  over  the  Alleghanies. 

Wentworth  was  bewildered  by  his  sudden 
apparition. 

"  I  had  business  in  this  direction,"  Drew  ex 
plained,  upon  deciphering  a  warning  look  from 
Katherine.  "  The  railroad  people  located  you 
readily,  and  I  simply  stepped  aboard  when  you 
came  along.  So  much  for  the  age  of  the  tele 
graph  !  Admiral,"  turning  to  Austin,  "  how 
that  one  invention  must  have  upset  old  traditions 
in  your  profession  !  " 

The  digression  was  brilliantly  successful.  Austin 
216 


THE    MASTERY  217 

threshed  out  the  naval  changes  from  Nelson  to 
Farragut,  and  breakfast  ran  its  orderly  course 
from  fruit  to  finger-bowls.  The  admiral's  wife, 
however,  had  witnessed  both  signal  and  result. 
It  was  illuminating.  Drew's  fall  from  the  clouds 
had  been  as  startling  to  her  as  to  her  brother,  for 
notwithstanding  her  alarm,  Katherine  had  kept 
her  own  counsel.  Breakfast  over,  she  toled  her 
husband  after  some  obtuse  resistance  into  a  re 
tired  section  of  the  car. 

"  Well,"  he  queried  lightly,  "  what  enormity 
have  I  committed  now  ?  " 

His  wife  enjoined  solemnity,  secrecy,  and  mys 
tery  with  a  single  frown. 

"  That  business  excuse  was  rubbish  !  " 

"Whose  rubbish?"  said  the  admiral,  densely. 

"  His  !  Mr.  Drew's  !  He's  here  for  another 
reason." 

"  What  of  it  ?  Men  of  his  stamp  don't  placard 
all  their  motives." 

"  She  sent  for  him  !  " 

This  needed  no  elucidation  and  the  admiral 
grinned. 

"  Don't  let  your  match-making  propensity  run 
away  with  you,  Sue,"  he  advised.  "  Of  course  I 
know  your  opinion  of  Drew's  eligibility  has 
changed  since  you  crossed  the  ocean,  but  —  " 


2i8  THE    MASTERY 

His  wife  stopped  his  lips  with  a  plump  hand 
which  the  admiral  gallantly  kissed. 

"  Now  don't  blunder  into  a  tete-a-tete,"  she 
charged. 

"  Oh,  excuse  me  from  the  platform  if  it's  to  be 
an  open-air  tryst,"  he  returned  cheerfully.  "  It's 
too  chilly  for  blood  at  merely  normal  temperature, 
and  the  scenery  is  an  old  story.  Besides  I've  a 
sea  yarn  by  a  preposterous  landlubber  to  finish, 
and- 

"  You'll  do  nothing  of  the  sort.  When  you 
catch  my  eye,  you  will  ask  John  to  play  chess,  and 
then  you'll  -play  chess  till  further  orders." 

Hence,  with  a  facility,  which  if  Drew  remarked 
at  all,  he  called  good  luck,  came  the  opportunity 
for  a  talk  apart  with  Katherine  and  the  speedy 
dissolution  of  her  doubts.  No  exile  to  the  nip 
ping  climate  of  the  platform  such  as  the  admiral 
crudely  suggested  was  necessary.  A  kindly  fate 
simply  decreed  that  they  should  at  a  stroke  find 
themselves  in  a  virtual  state  of  isolation.  It  is 
true  that  Wentworth  and  his  brother-in-law 
poised  rook  and  pawn  within  the  same  compart 
ment,  but  the  noise  of  the  train  divided  them  as 
effectually  as  if  the  interesting  pair  sat  in  West 
Virginia  and  their  elders  planned  checkmates  in 
Maryland. 


THE    MASTERY  219 

The  admiral  was  playing  in  Maryland  in  sober 
earnest  before  he  obtained  his  secret  signal  of 
release.  Mrs.  Austin  buttonholed  him  in  a 
narrow  corridor  as  the  preparations  for  luncheon 
were  afoot. 

"  Well/'  she  said  expectantly,  "  what  do  you 
think?" 

"  Humph,"  rejoined  the  sailor.  "  I  think 
you're  a  goose." 

Mrs.  Austin  ceased  to  sparkle. 

"You  mean  they  didn't  —  didn't  seem  to 
be  —  " 

"Philandering?"  growled  the  admiral.  "I 
should  say  not.  Talking  tariff  would  be  a  safer 
guess." 

"  Perhaps  you  couldn't  tell.  Their  way  may 
be  different  from  yours  —  ours  !  " 

"  Pish  !  " 

"  And  I  know  she  encouraged  him  to  come." 

"  Bosh !  " 

But  in  her  heart  Mrs.  Austin  knew  that  the 
admiral  might  be  safely  trusted  to  know  philan 
dering  under  any  guise,  and  the  prosaic  behavior 
of  Katherine  and  Drew  at  luncheon  only  added 
unnecessary  emphasis.  She  was  visibly  more 
cheerful  for  his  coming,  but  by  no  stretch  of  the 
imagination  could  their  manner  be  thought  lover- 


220  THE    MASTERY 

like.  She  consoled  herself,  however,  that  Drew's 
company  had  leavened  the  whole  party  with  good 
cheer,  and  she  bade  him  note  that  Wentworth 
himself  was  spurred  to  evanescent  fits  of  liveli 
ness.  The  journey  had  apparently  served  its  end. 
Barring  an  indifference  to  common  impressions, 
he  seemed  to  Drew  his  usual  self.  The  wound 
was  healing ;  time,  philosophy,  and  the  senatorial 
routine  would  cure. 

Though  cool  till  the  sun  cleared  the  mountains, 
the  day  warmed  to  an  almost  summer  mellowness, 
and  the  still  abundant  foliage  cloaking  the  more 
sheltered  places  of  the  heights  they  now  threaded 
seemed  in  league  with  the  balmy  air  to  cheat  the 
calendar.  The  summit  attained,  the  long  vesti- 
buled  train  began  a  frantic  measuring  off  of  miles, 
the  wheels  ticking  over  the  rail-joints  like  crickets 
gone  mad ;  dell,  dingle,  and  cascading  brook 
fused  together  as  in  a  panorama  whose  colors 
have  run.  The  admiral  made  a  shift  to  time 
the  engineer,  counting  telegraph  poles,  watch  in 
hand. 

"  How  many  knots  ?  "   laughed  Katherine. 

"  I  haven't  complete  confidence  in  the  log. 
By  my  last  count  we  were  running  no  less  than 
two  hundred  miles  an  hour,  which  I  must  say 
seems  extreme." 


THE    MASTERY  221 

"  The  old  story :  a  sailor  ashore,"  jeered  his 
wife.  "  Mr.  Drew,  you  keep  time.  I'll  count." 

The  strident  brakes,  suddenly  applied,  broke 
off  the  experiment.  The  heavy  train  jarred  to  a 
standstill.  Wentworth,  changing  color,  started 
from  his  chair ;  then  sank  back  with  shortened 
breath.  Katherine  was  instantly  hanging  over 
him. 

"  Don't  be  a  ninny,"  reproved  her  aunt, 
sharply.  "  If  your  father  were  really  ill,  you 
would  kill  him  with  kindness." 

Wentworth's  hand  sought  Katherine's. 

"  Sue  is  right  about  me,  my  dear,"  he  said. 
"  Nothing  is  wrong." 

Drew  reconnoitred  from  a  window.  They  had 
halted  on  a  long  curve  and  he  saw  their  detached 
engine  give  a  preliminary  cough,  slip  down  the 
grade,  and  vanish  round  the  shoulder  of  a  wooded 
bluff.  Silent  hills,  the  outposts  of  distant  moun 
tains,  hemmed  them  about,  and  a  small  stream 
gurgled  over  its  pebbles  just  below.  The  con 
jectures  of  the  passengers  struck  an  intrusive, 
untoward  note  in  the  wildness. 

"  Track  blocked  by  a  freight  wreck  just  around 
the  curve,"  announced  the  admiral,  returning 
from  a  journey  of  exploration  in  the  Pullman 
ahead.  "  No  lives  lost,  but  they  say  the  land- 


222  THE    MASTERY 

scape  is  littered  with  Milwaukee  beer  and  Chicago 
beef.  Does  anybody  want  to  foot  it  down  the 
ties  and  have  a  look  ? " 

Everybody  did;  Drew  found  himself  well  in 
the  van  with  Mrs.  Austin,  Katherine,  convoyed 
by  Wentworth  and  the  admiral,  following  at 
slower  pace.  The  whole  train-load  was  stream 
ing  forth  prepared  to  make  a  picnic  of  necessity. 
The  railroad  men  themselves  took  the  disaster  in 
a  spirit  of  jocosity,  Coming  upon  the  scene  as 
the  wrecking  train  arrived  from  the  east,  Drew 
witnessed  the  laconic  meeting  of  the  engineers. 

"  This  th'  best  you  c'n  do  ?  "  said  the  wrecker, 
shifting  his  quid. 

The  wrecked  deliberately  wiped  his  hands  on 
a  bit  of  cotton  waste.  "  We've  tied  traffic  both 
ways,"  he  drawled. 

They  critically  surveyed  a  black  and  yellow 
refrigerator  car  whose  shattered  forward  truck  had 
wrought  the  mischief.  Ploughing  the  ties  for  a 
hundred  yards,  it  had  ended  its  insane  rush  with 
a  last  fling  of  evil  energy  that  wrecked  its  imme 
diate  fellows ;  its  nearest  rear  neighbor  lay  like  a 
reversed  tumble-bug  twenty  feet  down  the  slope ; 
the  offender  itself  had  slouched  drunkenly  down 
between  the  rails  with  its  projecting  eaves  dis 
puting  the  east-bound  right  of  way. 


THE    MASTERY  223 

"  By  half  a  foot,"  estimated  the  custodian  of 
the  quid. 

"  Yes  ;  six  or  seven  inches.     Say  half  a  foot." 

The  pick  and  shovel  brigade  indulged  in  no 
such  fine-drawn  speculations.  They  were  already 
baring  of  earth  a  long  stretch  of  ties  along  the 
uninjured  track.  With  his  eager  interest  in  life 
of  every  sort,  Drew  watched  the  foreman. 

(C  There's  gumption,"  he  exclaimed.  "  A  green 
horn  would  have  frittered  away  the  afternoon  try 
ing  to  jack  up  that  disabled  car.  But  do  you 
see  what  he  is  doing?  He  means  to  shift  our 
track  over  bodily  and  let  us  go  round !  " 

Mrs.  Austin  with  Drew's  aid  chose  a  rocky 
perch  in  the  trees  overlooking  the  scene.  The 
others  spied  them,  but  lingered  below.  The  girl 
seemed  to  have  thrown  off  her  recent  anxiety  and 
walked  chatting  between  the  men  with  buoyant 
step.  Her  aunt  saw  Drew's  eyes  quit  the  wreck 
ers  and  follow  her  tenderly. 

"  I  spoke  sharply  to  Katherine  in  the  car,"  she 
said  on  sudden  impulse.  "  It  seemed  for  her 
good  no  less  than  the  senator's." 

"  I  understood." 

"  They  color  one  another's  moods  as  if  they 
were  sweethearts." 

Drew  was  soberly  thoughtful. 


224  THE    MASTERY 

"  She  told  me  at  'The  Beeches'  that  her  happi 
ness  depends  on  his,"  he  said  presently.  "  Her 
devotion  is  as  rare  as  her  nature." 

"  Katherine  is  a  normal  loving  woman  in  an 
abnormal  condition,"  amended  Mrs.  Austin. 
"  The  senator  has  stood  to  her  as  father  and 
mother  both  with  the  nimbus  of  celebrity  super- 
added.  She  has  lavished  upon  one  parent,  whom 
she  thinks  a  demigod,  the  affections  which  are 
ordinarily  shared  by  two,  and  possibly  brothers 
and  sisters." 

"If  he  should  be  taken  —  " 

"  Precisely.  It  is  a  contingency  I  often  con 
sider.  Not  that  I  think  John  in  any  danger. 
Far  from  it.  He  is  spiritually  adrift,  because  of 
Spedding,  but  he's  physically  hale.  Look  at  him 
there  !  We  Wentworths  are  of  a  long-lived  stock. 
Nevertheless  the  possibility  exists  and  for  Kather- 
ine's  good  should  be  faced.  She  should  marry." 

She  somehow  seemed  to  expect  a  response,  but 
Drew  was  dumb. 

"  Marry  and  live  the  life  Nature  meant  her 
to  live,"  Mrs.  Austin  continued,  talking  to  an 
inscrutable  profile.  "  Katherine  does  not  lack 
opportunities." 

She  drew  blood  at  that  —  as  she  meant  —  a  hot 
flush  that  lingered  in  the  man's  cheek. 


THE    MASTERY  225 

"  I  should  suppose  as  much,"  he  said,  rather 
huskily.  "So  lovable  —  so  fair." 

"  But  cotillon  leaders  and  fortune-hunting 
attaches  aren't  the  Petruchios  for  our  Katherine. 
She  has  all  a  normal  woman's  inclination  to 
make  some  man  the  centre  of  the  universe,  but 
she  has  a  predilection  for  brains.  He  must 
be  older  than  she  by  some  years ;  a  man  con 
cerned  in  public  affairs,  for  there  her  social  gift 
is  at  its  best ;  he  should  love  her  with  all  his 
strength,  love  her  foibles  even,  because  they 
are  her  foibles  and  dearer  in  his  sight  than 
another's  virtues  —  " 

Drew  was  round  upon  her  before  the  end  of 
the  catalogue. 

"  How  did  you  guess  ?  "  he  stammered.  "  I 
thought  —  " 

"  You  thought  that  you  might  always  read 
others  and  nobody  read  you  ? "  she  laughed. 
"  Love  isn't  politics." 

"And  you  think  me  worthy?"  It  was  stu 
pendous  that  Mrs.  Austin  should  be  saying  these 
things !  "  You  think  me  worthy  ?  You  wish 
me  well  ? " 

"Yes,  modest  man." 

"  And  she  ?  " 

"  Must  answer  for  herself,  of  course.     I  don't 

Q 


226  THE    MASTERY 

think  you  need  fear  your  rivals.  Katherine  has 
gone  her  way  singularly  heart-whole." 

"  There  was  Dick." 

Mrs.  Austin  laughed. 

"  Katherine  was  never  in  love  with  Dick,"  she 
said.  "She  was  merely  in  love  —  how  did  some 
clever  person  put  what  I  mean?  —  with  being  in 
love." 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE  wrecking  gang  below  crowbarred  the  track 
into  its  temporary  road-bed,  and  the  conductor 
warned  his  passengers  back  to  their  coaches. 
Wentworth  and  the  others  were  already  under 
way,  and,  helping  Mrs.  Austin  down  the  rocks, 
Drew  fell  into  a  long,  swinging  stride,  with  his 
eyes  upon  Katherine,  whose  bright  golf-cape  he 
sighted  up  the  straggling  file. 

"  Is  this  mad  rush  necessary  ?  "  gasped  his  com 
panion,  trudging  in  a  losing  match.  "  We've  dis 
tanced  even  the  conductor." 

Drew  laughed,  apologized,  and  slackened  the 
pace,  but  remained  untalkative,  and  Mrs.  Austin  let 
his  prismatic  meditations  run  uninterrupted.  His 
morning  with  Katherine  had  been  as  unlover-like 
as  the  admiral  surmised.  Her  fears  tranquillized, 
the  girl  had  rebounded  to  an  almost  hectic  gayety 
which  baffled  him.  He  would  almost  have  said 
that  she  talked  to  head  off  speech  from  him. 
But  here  was  Katherine's  own  aunt  come  to  fortify 
him  against  this  feminine  mystery. 

When  he  detained  her  an  instant  at  the  car 
227 


228  THE    MASTERY 

step,  Mrs.  Austin  perceived  that  she  had  had  her 
part  in  his  revery. 

"  You  have  done  me  a  great  service,"  he  said  ; 
"  a  tremendous  service." 

"  The  event  will  show." 

"  In  any  event." 

"  Good  luck ! "  she  wished  with  a  parting 
squeeze  of  the  hand  he  had  taken. 

The  admiral  bolted  out  into  the  vestibule  at  this 
tender  juncture. 

"  Sue,"  he  called  sharply,  "  Sue  !  " 

For  a  droll  instant  his  wife  supposed  him 
ruffled  at  her  innocent  platonics,  but  the  thought 
endured  for  an  instant  only. 

"The  senator  —  doctor  —  "  he  ejaculated,  and 
was  off. 

Luckily  his  quest  ended  with  the  Pullman 
adjoining,  and  he  was  at  their  heels  with  a  physi 
cian  almost  as  they  entered.  The  doctor  quietly 
took  over  Wentworth  from  Katherine's  tremulous 
ministrations  and  excluded  every  one.  Mrs.  Austin 
promptly  devoted  herself  to  the  frightened  girl 
and  somehow  pieced  together  the  facts.  It  ap 
peared  that  in  stooping  to  his  shoelace  Wentworth 
had  had  a  rush  of  blood  to  the  head. 

"  Oh,  a  mere  nosebleed,"  said  Mrs.  Austin, 
with  relief. 


THE    MASTERY  229 

"  A  hemorrhage,"  quavered  Katherine. 

"  Don't  frighten  yourself  with  big  words. 
You'll  find  it  amounts  to  nothing." 

"  But  it  does,"  the  admiral  told  Drew,  in  a 
cautious  undertone  as  the  men  got  themselves 
out  of  the  way.  "  It  wasn't  a  matter  of  the 
nostrils  only." 

All  were  clustered  in  an  anxious  group  when 
the  doctor  reappeared.  He  was  a  large  man  with 
kind  eyes. 

"  The  senator  is  very  comfortable,"  he  said, 
singling  out  Katherine  for  especial  reassurance. 
"He  protests  that  he  feels  as  sound  as  a  nut,  and 
he  undoubtedly  does,  but  I  have  persuaded  him 
to  lie  down  for  a  while.  Rest  and  a  quiet  mind 
are  really  the  only  prescription,  and  I  recommend 
them  to  all  of  you." 

"  But  the  hemorrhage,  doctor?  "  Katherine  said. 

"  The  nosebleed  ?  "  he  returned  simply.  "  It 
is  common  enough  in  high  altitudes.  But  we 
are  descending  all  the  while  now,"  he  added, 
glancing  out  of  a  window.  "  Gentlemen,  do  you 
play  whist  ?  I  can  lay  my  hand  on  a  fourth  man 
if  you'd  care  for  a  game." 

Austin  and  Drew  followed  him  into  his  own 
car  with  a  clear  understanding  that  whist  would 
be  far  from  their  commerce, 


230  THE    MASTERY 

"  Doctor,"  said  the  admiral,  promptly,  "  that 
was  a  hemorrhage  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  the  altitude  ?  " 

"  Mattered  little.  It  was  the  stooping  which 
interfered  with  the  heart's  action." 

"  It  is  the  heart  !  " 

"Yes.    The  disturbance  is  there — such  as  it  is." 

"  And  you  think  ?  " 

"  I  advise  you  to  consult  the  senator's  regular 
medical  attendant.  It  was  for  this  I  asked  you 
aside.  I  thought  possibly  the  ladies  might  bor 
row  unnecessary  trouble.  The  heart  is  a  great 
bugaboo." 

"  But  your  own  opinion,  doctor  ? "  pressed 
Drew,  seeing  more  in  the  man's  manner  than  he 
voiced. 

"  Oh,  a  rough  guess  merely,  not  worth  the 
statement.  My  examination  was  hasty,  you  see. 
Your  regular  physician  will  go  into  it  with  all 
care  and  lay  out  the  proper  regimen  —  if  a  regi 
men  is  needful ;  I  don't  say  it  is.  I'll  give  you 
my  card — I  am  a  Washingtonian  myself — and 
if  your  physician  cares  to  talk  over  to-day's  attack, 
—  as  he  may,  —  I  shall  be  glad  to  meet  him." 

Drew  and  the  admiral  took  counsel  together 
before  reentering  their  car, 


THE    MASTERY  231 

"  Professional  delicacy  ?  "  Drew  queried. 
"  He  knows  more  than  he  tells,  I'll  warrant." 
"  He  wanted  to  avoid  alarming  Us/' 
"  Well,  he  alarmed  me,"  declared  Austin,  study 
ing  the  card.     "  *  Bowman  ! '      I've  heard  of  him 
before,  and  favorably.      He's  one  of  the  Bowmans 
—  F.F.V.  and  all  that  —  and  considered  a  handy 
man  at  his  trade.     We'll  take  the  senator  directly 
to    my  house ;    no    hotel   for    him    to-night,  or 
any  night,  till  we've  sounded  this  thing.     In  the 
morning  I'll  call  Armstrong.     He's  dosed  all  of 
us  for  a  decade.     Better  to-morrow  than  to-night, 
eh  ?     We'll  make  Washington  rather  late." 
"  What  shall  you  tell  Mrs.  Austin  ?  " 
"  Nothing  —  at  least    till    Armstrong  has   had 
his  say.     Sue's  imagination  will  beat  Katherine's 
hands  down  if  you  touch  the  right  spring.     There 
is  no  pessimist  like  a  backsliding  optimist." 

After  a  sufficient  interval  they  returned,  feign 
ing  light-hearted  relief.  It  was  a  clumsy  dis 
sembling,  but  happily  they  met  an  atmosphere 
charged  with  the  genuine  emotion,  which  Went- 
worth  fostered  by  rejoining  them  in  excellent 
spirits  an  hour  before  the  train  reached  Wash 
ington.  He  was  eager  to  resume  work,  and  was 
with  difficulty  brought  round  to  share  the  Austins' 
roof  for  a  night. 


232  THE    MASTERY 

"  We'll  have  a  hearth  of  our  own  presently," 
he  said.  "  I'm  only  waiting  until  the  succession 
is  definitely  settled." 

"  But  that  is  a  foregone  conclusion,  father," 
returned  Katherine,  quickly,  her  look  confidently 
searching  Drew,  who  nodded.  "  I  mean  to  begin 
house-hunting  at  once." 

"  Come  neighbor  us,"  suggested  the  admiral, 
abetting  their  trusting  reliance  upon  a  rickety 
future.  "  Barring  the  bronze  general  shaking  his 
sword  at  the  sparrows,  there's  nothing  strenuous 
about  our  square.  That's  why  we  chose  it.  It's 
a  city  home  with  country  comforts." 

Drew  declined  Mrs.  Austin's  hospitality,  rather 
to  her  mystification.  He  promised  a  call  on  the 
morrow,  however,  and  privately  arranged  an 
earlier  meeting  with  the  admiral  to  follow  the 
doctor's  examination. 

The  forenoon  brought  Austin  as  agreed,  but  no 
respite  from  suspense. 

"  I  had  a  time  of  it  over  calling  Armstrong," 
he  announced,  "  for  John  looks  the  pink  of  health. 
However,  I  convinced  Katherine,  and  she  of 
course  persuaded  him  that  it  was  common  sense." 

"  And  Armstrong  ?  " 

"  Armstrong  thumped  him  over  in  a  casual 
sort  of  way,  seconded  Bowman's  bluff  about  the 


THE    MASTERY  233 

altitude,  —  I  had  him  primed  with  all  the  facts,  — 
and  made  some  suggestions  about  taking  things 
quietly  for  a  few  days.  He  spent  more  time  in 
talking  about  Bowman.  Said  he  was  a  jolly  com 
panion  when  you  came  to  know  him,  a  crack 
whist  player,  and  so  on.  The  senator  pricked  up 
his  ears  at  whist, —  it's  his  one  frivolity,  you  know, 
—  and  Armstrong  undertook  to  bring  his  friend 
around  to-night." 

"  It's  their  way  of  getting  together  to  watch 
him!" 

"  He  admitted  as  much  when  I  cornered  him, 
but  cautioned  me  against  letting  it  leak  out  in  the 
household.  I  think  he  even  told  a  few  white 
lies  to  quiet  me.  But  he  didn't  disguise  the  fact 
that  it's  a  mighty  serious  matter." 

The  vagueness  of  the  impending  evil  height 
ened  its  menace.  Drew's  imagination  shot  ahead 
to  its  possible  consequences  —  a  sombre  train. 
Then  he  harked  swiftly  back  to  the  sufficient 
anxiety  of  the  hour. 

"  Is  there  no  way  I  can  help  ? "   he  asked. 

"  Well,  yes,"  Austin  hesitated.  "  You  may 
play  fourth  at  whist." 

Drew  smothered  an  exclamation. 

"  It's  ghastly,  I  know,"  the  admiral  added, 
"  but  I'd  hate  to  have  either  of  the  women  play, 


234  THE    MASTERY 

—  their  intuitions  are  too  keen ;  and  as  for  my 
self  I  hardly  know  a  jack  from  a  king,  and  to 
pretend  a  sudden  interest  may  lead  Sue  to  sus 
pect  something.  We  must  keep  the  womenfolk 
cheery  at  any  cost.  They're  the  weathermakers 
of  the  home." 

The  physicians  contributed  no  obvious  grim- 
ness.  Armstrong's  morning  call  had  lulled 
Katherine's  fears ;  Mrs.  Austin  had  expressed 
none ;  and  Wentworth  looked  almost  his  usual 
self.  Indeed,  there  were  moments  when  even 
Drew  forgot  the  visitors'  real  errand,  so  social  the 
hour.  For  tobacco's  sake  they  played  in  a  room 
apart  from  Mrs.  Austin  and  Katherine,  or  at 
least  that  was  the  admiral's  explanation  to  which 
one  and  another  lent  plausibility  by  letting  a  cigar 
smoulder.  Yet  there  was  nothing  bogus  about 
the  whist.  Bowman  carried  out  his  reputation  as 
an  expert  to  rigorous  ends,  but  if  his  silence 
during  the  progress  of  a  game  was  austere,  his 
geniality  over  the  dealing  was  no  less  marked. 
It  was  during  one  of  these  latter  intervals  that 
by  skilful  approaches  he  led  Wentworth  on  to  re 
hearse  the  story  of  his  attack  in  detail. 

There  was  no  forgetting  after  that.  The  game 
seemed  a  hideous  gamble  with  fate.  Wentworth, 
unsuspecting,  enjoyed  himself  after  his  pacific 


THE    MASTERY  235 

fashion,  and,  as  always  under  friendly  stimulus, 
flowered  reminiscence.  Drew  had  seldom  seen 
his  elemental  physical  charm  more  potent,  and 
marked  with  repressed  feeling  how  it  wove  its 
spell  even  upon  these  emotion-armored  men  of 
science.  It  was  a  strange  evening,  made  not  less 
strange  at  parting  by  the  senator's  expressed  hope 
for  many  such  to  come. 

"  It  is  like  shaking  hands  with  your  hang 
man,"  muttered  Austin,  as  Drew  also  prepared 
to  go.  "  You'll  not  return  to  New  York 
until  —  " 

"  We  know  the  unvarnished  truth  ?  No." 
The  revelation  came  swiftly.  Meeting  Austin 
in  the  morning,  Drew  learned  that  the  immediate 
upshot  of  last  night's  sinister  game  was  a  telegram 
to  an  eminent  Philadelphia  specialist  who  was 
expected  to  arrive  in  Washington  by  noon. 

cc  Armstrong  is  to  'phone,  asking  if  he  may 
bring  a  distinguished  friend  to  luncheon,"  the 
admiral  explained. 

"  The  senator  may  begin  to  suspect." 
"  Not  he  !      It's  Sue  who'll  wonder." 
Indoors  and  out,  Drew  tramped  off  five  anx 
ious  hours.      At  three  o'clock,  no  word  coming, 
he  started  for  Austin's  residence,  and  so  ran  upon 
the  admiral   himself  homing  from  another  direc- 


236  THE    MASTERY 

tion.  The  very  droop  of  his  shoulders  stamped 
him  as  the  carrier  of  bad  news. 

"  They've  come  and  gone,"  he  said  mechani 
cally.  "  I  went  over  to  Armstrong's  afterwards. 
I've  just  come  from  there.  It's  an  organic  val 
vular  lesion  of  the  heart." 

"  Organic  valvular  lesion  !  "  Drew  mouthed 
the  unfamiliar  doctor's  terminology  after  him. 
"That  means  that  something;  has  given  way  — 

DO  * 

gone  wrong  ?  " 

"  Fatally  wrong  in  poor  Wentworth's  case." 
"  Not  that !     They  don't  say  that  ?  " 
"  Our  doctors   hesitated  to  say  it,  so  the  spe 
cialist  came." 

"  There  are  other  heart  specialists  !  " 
"  This  man  leads  them." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THEY  silently  faced  the  fact  in  its  naked 
ugliness." 

"How  long?"  asked  Drew,  thickly. 

"  There  is  no  predicting.  What  they  can  do 
to  prolong  life  will  be  done." 

"  And  he  !     Is  he  to  know  ?  " 

"  He  must  know  nothing.  Strong  mental 
excitement  would  probably  be  fatal.  It  must 
be  our  secret." 

"  Poor  Katherine  !  "  groaned  Drew.  "  Poor 
Katherine  !  " 

"  I  thought  those  doctors  clever  actors,"  Austin 
ruminated  gloomily.  "  The  great  physicians  must 
be  actors  too,  I  dare  say.  But  what  are  their  few 
hours  beside  our  days,  weeks  —  months  !  " 

"Years,  God  willing,"  said  Drew,  rousing. 
"  Let's  hope  the  doctors  blockheads,  and  wish 
the  senator  another  decade." 

"Your  acting  has  already  begun!  It's  time 
for  mine.  Come ;  we'll  go  in." 

But  even  at  the  threshold  their  dissembling 
237 


238  THE    MASTERY 

fell  to  pieces.  Mrs.  Austin  had  marked  their 
coming,  and,  herself  opening  the  door  to  them, 
marched  them  like  culprits  into  the  library. 

"You  are  keeping  something  from  me,"  she 
accused.  "  It  is  something  dreadful,  something 
I  ought  to  know.  Don't  try  to  put  me  off," 
she  went  on,  riddling  their  shuffling  protests 
with  a  glance.  "  I  have  suspected  you  ever  since 
Dr.  Armstrong  said  he  would  bring  Dr.  Bowman 
for  whist.  Dr.  Armstrong  hasn't  time  for  whist ! 
And  he  hasn't  time  for  mere  luncheons !  And 
his  friend's  coming  to-day  wasn't  by  chance ! 
That  man's  name  and  specialty  are  known 
everywhere.  It's  John  they  came  to  watch  ! 
You  cannot  deceive  me.  Why  have  you  tried 
to  keep  this  terrible  thing  from  me  ?  " 

Then  Austin  told  her,  adding:  — 

"  I'd  have  spoken  at  the  outset,  Sue  dear,  if 
I  had  had  the  say  of  it.  The  fewer  the  better, 
they  thought.  We're  to  keep  this  a  cheery 
home  —  God  save  us!" 

His  wife  was  crying  softly. 

"I'll  —  I'll  be  cheery,"   she  sobbed. 

"Not  that  way,  Sue,"  begged  Austin,  dole 
fully  ;  "  not  that  way  !  If  poor  Katherine  should 
see  you  —  hear  you  !  She  mustn't  know." 

Drew    had     turned    away.       A    near     portiere 


THE   MASTERY  239 

swayed  strangely  before  his  blurred  eyes.  He 
distinguished  a  labored  sigh  which  quavered  to  a 
moan.  The  fabric  parted  uncertainly.  A  slen 
der  figure  swayed  bewildered  in  the  opening. 

"  Katherine  !  "   they  chorused  at  her,  blankly. 

"  I  heard,"  she  said,  with  an  unnatural  com 
posure.  "  I  heard  all." 

The  men  effaced  themselves  and  helplessly 
prowled  the  smoking-room  for  an  interminable 
half  hour.  Then  came  Mrs.  Austin,  seeking  Drew. 

"  Katherine  asks  for  you,"  she  said. 

"  For  me  !  " 

"  She  turns  to  you." 

He  found  her  waiting  rigidly  in  the  darkening 
room,  her  face  spectral  in  its  whiteness.  When 
she  spoke,  it  was  as  if  a  marble  found  voice. 

"  You  will  help,"  she  appealed. 

"  Katherine  !  " 

Her  sombre  eyes  seemed  to  look  through  and 
beyond  him. 

"He  must  suspect  nothing — nothing.  That 
is  our  great  task,  our  duty." 

"  Our  privilege,"  Drew  said  gently. 

"  His  precious  life  hangs  upon  our  vigilance," 
she  went  on.  "  If  we  tide  him  over  these  first 
weeks,  the  weakness  may  pass,  the  tissues  build. 
Who  knows  !  " 


240  THE    MASTERY 

"  Ay,  who  knows  !  "  echoed  Drew,  instantly 
bolstering  the  puny  hope.  "  People  make  a 
bugaboo  of  the  heart,  Bowman  says,"  he  quoted. 
"  Why  should  the  doctors  themselves  be  im 
mune  ?  " 

If  she  took  comfort  from  what  he  mentally 
spurned,  she  gave  no  sign.  Her  tense,  still  suf 
fering  lay  too  deep  for  surface  ripples. 

"  We  must  plan  to  shield  him,"  she  said  with 
her  heartbreaking  calm.  "  When  Congress  meets, 
he  must  be  found  in  his  seat." 

"  Of  course." 

"  And  everything  will  go  on  as  before." 

"If  possible." 

"  It  must  be  made  possible." 

"Yes,"  he  soothed.     "Yes." 

"  Promise ! " 

"  Promise  what,  Katherine  ?  " 

"  That  there  shall  be  no  change." 

While  he  considered  how  he  might  pacify  her 
best,  she  swept  on  :  — 

"  Promise  that  you  will  let  no  man  come  be 
tween  him  and  his  reelection  because  of  this  !  I 
ask  his  life  of  you,  nothing  less." 

"  Trust  me  in  this,  Katherine.  The  future 
shall  guide." 

"  Promise  !  " 


THE    MASTERY  241 

"  It  is  not  a  thing  for  promises.  Trust  me, 
Katherine.  I  love  your  father." 

"  Is  this  your  help  ?  " 

"  Be  generous  !  " 

She  met  his  entreaty  stonily ;  then  suddenly 
veered  to  a  contrition  he  found  harder  yet  to  bear. 

"  Forgive  me,"  she  begged.  "I  —  I  am  over 
wrought." 

"  And  I  am  a  tactless  blunderer !  "  Drew  ex 
claimed  in  self-scorn. 

With  a  resolute  effort  for  self-control  she 
began  quietly  to  discuss  their  wisest  course. 
Mrs.  Austin  soon  joined  them,  as  later  did  the 
admiral.  Finally  came  Wentworth  himself,  just 
awakened  from  a  nap,  and  put  them  to  the  test. 
They  talked  like  creatures  moving  in  a  dream, 
smiling  outwardly,  their  hearts  crucified.  At 
dinner  there  even  flickered  a  phantom  laughter. 
Yet  later  came  other  human  things  :  cigars,  fire 
side  chat,  and  music. 

The  last  was  at  Wentworth's  particular  solici 
tation.  He  had  a  simple,  old-fashioned  taste  in 
such  matters,  which  embraced  nothing  more 
recent  than  "  The  Battle  of  Prague,"  and  de 
lighted  most  in  plaintive  Scotch  and  Irish  melo 
dies.  He  hit  now,  however,  upon  Mendelssohn 
as  Katherine  lingered  in  the  doorway  for  his 


242  THE    MASTERY 

bidding,  and  out  to  him  who  touched  fingers  with 
winter  and  death  lilted  presently  the  very  essence 
of  life  and  love's  springtime. 

Yet  it  was  Katherine  rather  than  Wentworth 
who  at  that  moment  filled  their  thoughts. 

"It  is  for  her  I  am  afraid,"  her  aunt  murmured 
at  Drew's  side.  "  Not  a  note  at  fault !  " 

Without  replying,  Drew  rose  and  crossed  the 
intervening  hall  to  the  dim-lit  music  room  where, 
with  eyes  closed  and  lashes  wet,  the  girl  sat 
rigidly  before  the  instrument.  Then  the  flood- 
tide  of  his  love  and  compassion  whelmed  its  last 
barrier.  Who  should  cherish  if  not  he  ?  As  the 
last  note  melted  into  silence  he  took  the  player 
unresisting  in  his  arms.  So  in  the  obscurity 
they  stood.  From  beyond  Wentworth  called  his 
thanks  ;  his  sister's  voice  succeeded  ;  then  the 
admiral's.  The  chess-board  came  forward  and 
the  senator  began  marshalling  the  white  and  red 
hosts  over  against  each  other.  The  absentees 
were  unheeded. 

"  You  shall  not  drink  this  cup  of  bitterness 
alone,"  Drew  said.  "  By  right  of  a  great  love  I 
claim  a  part." 

Katherine  gave  no  answer.  He  felt  no  omis 
sion.  For  the  time  it  was  to  him  all  sufficient 
that  his  caress  went  unrepulsed.  It  was  a  moment 


THE    MASTERY  243 

crowded  with  ineffable  meanings  for  him.  He 
divined  that  it  could  signify  no  less  for  her. 
While  life  endured  this  bitter-sweet  memory 
would  remain  ineffaceable.  With  what  associa 
tions,  poor  bungler,  had  he  linked  these  maiden 
mysteries  which  should  have  known  no  shadow  ! 

"  Have  I  wronged  you  by  speaking  now  ? "  he 
asked.  "  I  have  waited  long.  I  could  have 
waited  longer  but  for  the  sight  of  your  misery. 
I  thought  —  if  you  knew  —  you  might  trust  me 
more  than  you  seemed  to  trust  me  a  little  time 
ago.  Your  happiness  is  mine,  dear  heart.  Your 
grief  is  mine  also." 

"  Give  us  your  opinion  here,  my  girl,"  called 
Wentworth. 

"  Coming,  father." 

Drew  released  her.  For  an  instant  she  re 
mained  close  beside  him.  Her  face  was  averted. 
He  could  not  have  read  it  in  the  thick  shadows 
if  he  would. 

"  Is  it  well  with  us,  Katherine?  "  he  demanded, 
with  sudden  misgiving.  "  Have  I  dared  too 
much  ?  " 

She  silently  gave  him  her  hand.  It  was  cold 
to  the  touch,  and  he  thought  of  the  hand  which 
met  his  under  the  capsized  sail.  This  was  their 
betrothal. 


244  THE    MASTERY 

The  flags  flew  from  either  wing  of  the  Capitol 
on  the  morrow  and  Drew  and  Katherine  drove 
over  through  the  crisp  air  with  Wentworth,  and 
from  the  members'  gallery  of  the  Senate  over 
looked  the  opening  of  the  session.  The  desks 
of  many  senators  bore  flowers,  costly  blooms  of 
the  forcing-house.  Wentworth's  was  wholly  lost 
to  sight  beneath  a  scented  drift  of  roses,  for  his 
passion  for  them  was  widely  known.  They 
banked  even  the  leather-seated  chair,  overflowed 
to  the  very  waste-basket,  and  trailed  their  ribbons 
in  the  aisle. 

Katherine  smothered  a  little  cry. 

"How  could  I  forget?"  she  said.  "I  sent 
him  nothing  !  " 

"  He  will  not  notice,"  Drew  consoled.  <c  See  ! 
it  is  the  flowers,  not  the  cards." 

Wentworth  bent  over  his  treasures  as  they 
looked,  singled  out  the  choicest  with  an  expert's 
swift  judgment,  and  snapped  his  fingers  for  a 
page.  A  moment  later  the  pink-petaled  shower 
of  fragrance  lay  in  Katherine's  lap. 

"  There  was  a  card  here,"  she  said,  lifting  her 
face  from  their  loveliness. 

Drew  searched  impossible  corners. 

"  Are  you  sure  ?  "  he  asked.  "  The  page  may 
have  dropped  it." 


THE    MASTERY  245 

"  You  are  stepping  on  it." 

The  man  bent  with  deepened  color. 

"  I  don't  see  it,"  he  protested. 

With  a  quick  movement  she  stooped  also. 
Drew's  eyes  were  tightly  shut. 

"  You  are  a  dear  humbug,"  she  whispered. 
"  Give  me  your  card." 

The  Vice  President  opportunely  let  his  gavel 
fall,  the  senators  got  upon  their  feet,  the  chaplain 
besought  wisdom  for  those  in  high  places,  and 
the  session's  routine  began.  Wentworth  had 
given  his  reluctant  word  that  his  first  day's  work 
should  be  light,  and  the  three  went  shortly  out 
together  into  the  bracing  air  and  brilliant  sunshine 
which  beat  upon  the  great  east  front. 

"  It's  absurd  to  run  away  from  school  like 
this,"  the  senator  protested  as  they  came  slowly 
down  the  steps  to  the  carriage.  "  I'm  fit  for  a 
mountain  of  work  and  should  have  made  no 
promises." 

His  lethargy  for  the  hour  cast  off,  he  looked 
and  felt  a  sound  man,  and  even  imposed  his 
optimism  upon  the  others.  As  they  drove  home 
by  a  roundabout  course  they  balanced  the  pros 
and  cons  suggested  by  rentable  houses  here  and 
there,  and  speculated  upon  the  winter's  gayeties. 
To  Katherine,  willing  dupe  of  this  mirage,  the 


246  THE    MASTERY 

last  three  days  seemed  as  unsubstantial  as  a 
troubled  dream,  last  night  a  tissue  of  shadowy 
unreality.  It  was  such  a  mood  she  turned  pres 
ently  to  Drew. 

"  I  leave  the  house  in  an  hour,"  he  said,  when 
they  were  again  alone.  "  The  President  has 
asked  me  to  call  this  afternoon,  and  from  the 
White  House  I  must  go  directly  to  my  train." 

"Home?" 

"  I  once  called  it  so.  Where  you  are  signifies 
home  now." 

He  waited  for  a  response  and  vainly. 

"  But  New  York  is  the  workshop  still,"  he 
went  on,  "  and  if  I  am  to  help,  it  must  be  there, 
not  here." 

"You  have  been  everything  to  us." 

There  was  an  interval  of  silence  which  Drew 
was  the  first  to  break. 

"  Katherine,"  he  said,  "  I  cannot  go  without 
speaking  to  your  father  of  what  has  passed 
between  us." 

"  No,  no  !  "     The  protest  was  vehement. 

"No,  Katherine?" 

The  pain  in  his  voice  drew  her  round  to  face 
him. 

"  Have  I  hurt  you  ?  "  she  faltered.  "  I  did 
not  mean  —  it  is  of  him  we  must  think  first. 


THE    MASTERY  247 

Why  speak  to-day  ?  He  is  stronger,  better.  Do 
nothing  to  excite  him  —  to  hinder  his  recovery  —  " 

"  I  had  hoped  it  would  make  him  happier  to 
know." 

"  It  would,  Philip,  it  would.  He  loves  you  as 
a  son." 

"  Then  he  will  take  no  harm  from  knowing." 

"  Later,"  she  pleaded.     "  Later." 

She  sank  upon  a  low  seat,  looking  at  him  no 
longer.  She  could  not  tell  this  loyal,  unselfish, 
true-hearted  man  that  in  the  strange  dream- 
existence  of  yesterday  she  had  done  him  a  wrong. 
His  very  unselfishness  had  hurried  her  farther 
than  her  heart  prompted.  His  heart  had  been  an 
open  page  to  her  for  many  a  day,  but  she  could 
not  read  her  own  aright.  She  admired  Drew, 
admired  him  as  she  had  no  man  save  her  father. 
She  had  felt  the  still  force  of  his  character  at  the 
outset  of  their  acquaintance ;  his  mind  had  called 
to  her  mind  with  a  sure  appeal  as  their  friendship 
grew  ;  and  the  hour  when  she  first  realized  that 
this  master  of  men  loved  her  was  one  of  triumph. 
She  had  thought  she  would  know  her  own  heart 
when  the  time  came  for  him  to  speak,  but  the 
time  had  come,  and  she  had  not  known.  Neither 
did  she  know  now  as  he  stood  bewildered  over 
her. 


248  THE    MASTERY 

"  Would  you  wait  till  too  late  ? "  he  asked 
gravely.  "  You  say  this  would  make  him  happy. 
Could  you  forgive  yourself  if  he — " 

"  Don't,"  she  implored,  starting  up  ;  "  don't 
speak  of  that !  You  shall  not  speak  of  that !  " 

She  moved  irresolutely  down  the  room.  Drew 
watched  her  in  sheer  perplexity.  He  could  read 
men  :  women  were  expressed  in  cryptic  characters, 
this  woman  whom  he  strove  painfully  to  know 
being  the  most  incomprehensible  of  all.  He 
could  see  only  her  pure  profile,  but  its  lines 
seemed  to  him  to  model  themselves  into  a  tragic 
mask,  and  after  a  wretched  moment  he  followed 
her. 

"  Let  it  be  as  you  say,"  he  yielded.  "  Who 
am  I  to  judge  !  " 

Katherine  spun  round  as  if  it  had  needed  but 
that. 

"  No  ;  let  it  be  as  you  say,"  she  answered. 
"  It  is  I  who  am  unreasonable.  He  is  in  the 
library.  Go  to  him  now.  It  is  his  due." 

"  Not  against  your  wish." 

She  stooped  to  his  hand  and  kissed  it. 

"You  should  have  loved  a  better  woman, 
Philip  Drew,"  she  said.  "  Go  tell  him.  I  bid 
you  go." 


CHAPTER   XXII 

AT  the  week's  end,  Maddox  made  a  contribu 
tion  to  the  situation.  His  rencounter  with  Drew 
fell  out  from  a  joint-meeting  with  the  governor- 
elect.  The  manner  of  their  coming  together  was 
significant.  The  initiative  was  Scott's,  who  asked 
for  an  informal  talk  preliminary  to  the  regular 
gathering  of  state  leaders  on  the  eve  of  the  legis 
lative  session.  Drew  responded  with  an  invita 
tion  to  luncheon  at  his  hotel.  Maddox  interposed 
a  previous  engagement  and  suggested  a  little  din 
ner  at  his  club.  Scott  thought  the  time  ripe  for 
finesse. 

"  You  see,  my  dear,"  he  told  his  wife  from  an 
uneasy  pillow,  "  I  owe  my  nomination  mainly  to 
Drew.  On  the  other  hand  Maddox  gave  me  a 
rousing  plurality  below  the  Bronx.  If  they  are 
going  to  lock  horns  over  the  state  leadership,  as 
a  good  many  people  think,  I've  a  pretty  ticklish 
course  to  steer." 

"  I  should  think  that  you  would  be  state 
leader,"  returned  his  lady,  who  was  absorbed  in 

249 


25o  THE    MASTERY 

the  gown  problem  presented  by  her  first  New 
Year  reception  in  the  Executive  Mansion.  "  I 
should  think  that  the  head  of  the  state  would 
naturally  be  the  head  of  his  party  too." 

The  governor-elect  hemmed  dryly. 

"  It  doesn't  seem  to  work  out  that  way,"  he 
answered.  "  But  what  am  I  to  do  about  this 
luncheon-dinner  business,  I'd  like  to  know?" 

"  Give  a  luncheon  or  a  dinner  of  your  own," 
said  his  wife,  practically.  "  Or  a  breakfast,  rather, 
which  is  less  common." 

Her  husband  embraced  the  suggestion,  and  to 
his  vast  relief  the  meeting  which  took  place  at 
his  brother's  city  residence  was  altogether  har 
monious.  Neither  leader  had  aught  but  praise 
for  the  rough  draft  of  his  maiden  message  which 
he  laid  deferentially  before  them;  his  suggestions 
with  regard  to  appointments  aroused  only  the 
friendliest  discussion,  and  they  were  seemingly 
of  a  mind  about  the  legislative  programme.  No 
one  mentioned  the  senatorship  directly,  though 
Scott  alluded  once  to  the  newspaper  accounts  of 
Wentworth's  ill-health  which  had  somehow  gained 
currency  within  the  last  day  or  two. 

"  The  old  man  deserves  a  rest,"  observed 
Maddox,  demurely. 

Thin    ice    threatened    here    and    the    diplomat 


THE    MASTERY  251 

reverted  nimbly  to  his  message.  A  little  later  he 
heaved  a  sigh  of  satisfaction  to  see  his  guests  pass 
down  the  street  together,  apparently  engrossed 
with  one  another's  society. 

Engrossed  they  indubitably  were.  Maddox's 
first  words  had  riveted  Drew's  attention. 

"  I  want  to  say  some  things  it  wasn't  necessary 
to  publish  to  Scott,"  he  remarked.  "  Pressed 
for  time  ?  " 

"  Not  particularly." 

"  Then  suppose  we  walk  down  town." 

They  forthwith  crossed  to  Fifth  Avenue, 
traversing  a  chaotic  side  street  whose  nearer 
curb  for  the  space  of  a  block  was  lined  with  a 
paving  gang  of  perhaps  half  a  hundred  men. 
They  were  of  mixed  nationality —  Italians,  Slavs, 
Poles,  and  yet  other  peoples  bullied  by  an  Irish 
foreman.  Yet  at  Maddox's  approach  this  poly 
glot  assemblage,  seemingly  the  raw  unleavened 
dough  of  citizenship,  betrayed  the  inworking 
presence  of  some  quickening  germ.  One  laborer 
nudged  another,  tugging  meanwhile  at  his  cap ; 
the  second  ducked  and  bespoke  a  third,  who  in 
turn  hailed  his  neighbor.  So  down  the  ranks 
went  word  of  the  approach  of  the  unofficial 
ruler  of  no  mean  city.  To  Drew  this  chance 
tribute  of  the  proletariat  —  this  significant  hand- 


252  THE    MASTERY 

ful  out  of  thousands  —  came  as  a  revelation  of 
personal  power  almost  passing  credence,  and  he 
wondered  what  thoughts  it  stirred  in  the  man 
beside  him.  But  for  a  spark  in  his  eye  as  he 
returned  his  greetings  with  a  half-military  salute, 
Maddox  seemed  to  move  through  it  all  as  one  to 
whom  custom  had  staled  the  homage. 

Neither  man  spoke  till  they  turned  down 
the  avenue.  Then,  without  preface  or  warning, 
Maddox  bluntly  asked:  — 

"  Between  you  and  me,  why  shouldn't  old 
Wentworth  step  down  ?  He's  out  of  date." 

Drew  gathered  himself  in  hand  for  he  knew  not 
what. 

"A  majority  of  the  new  Legislature  is  of 
another  opinion,"  he  said. 

"  Spedding's  dead,"  observed  Maddox,  sen- 
tentiously. 

"  Good  faith  isn't,  I  trust." 

"  No.  I  trust  not  too,"  Maddox  agreed  in  all 
seriousness.  "  I  don't  know  what  party  organi 
zation  would  amount  to  if  it  was.  I  say  to  the 
boys,  Keep  your  word  if  you  can't  keep  anything 
else.  But  I  haven't  noticed  Common  Sense 
mentioned  in  the  obituaries  either." 

"  Do  you  propose  to  raise  this  issue  in  the 
caucus  ?  "  Drew  asked  after  a  pause. 


THE    MASTERY  253 

"  No,  sir,"  rejoined  Maddox,  promptly.  "  New 
York's  bundle  of  votes  will  be  regularly  delivered, 
never  fear.  I  never  broke  an  agreement  with 
Spedding  nor  with  any  other  man." 

Drew  knew  him  for  a  man  of  his  word  and 
said  so,  heartily. 

"All  the  same  I  shouldn't  object  if  Went- 
worth  would  let  us  off,"  Maddox  resumed. 
"  He  is  entitled  to  reelection,  of  course,  if  he  is 
of  a  mind  to  stand  upon  his  rights.  What  I 
claim  is  that  he  shouldn't  press  his  technical 
rights.  Suppose  he  should  drop  off  some  time 
when  the  Legislature  is  close  or  against  us 
altogether.  I  maintain  that  he  owes  it  to  the 
party  to  let  some  younger  man  take  his  place." 

With  his  dread  knowledge,  Drew  could  make 
no  direct  answer,  but  he  asked  :  — 

"  Your  own  choice  is  still  Redfern  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Maddox,  with  deliberation.  "  I 
am  not  committed  in  that  quarter.  It's  true  I 
like  Redfern,  and  that  I  think  as  senator  he'd  fill 
the  bill  with  credit  to  the  state,  but  it  isn't  Red- 
fern  I  have  in  mind  just  now.  It's  yourself." 

Such  a  suggestion  from  such  a  source  staggered 
Drew. 

"  But  I  don't  want  it,"  he  protested.  "  I've 
never  entertained  the  thought." 


254  THE    MASTERY 

"  I  was  afraid  so,"  rejoined  Maddox,  with 
regret.  "  I  was  afraid  so.  If  you  only  did  want 
it,  all  would  be  plain  sailing.  Wentworth  would 
make  way  for  you  at  a  word." 

"  Nothing  could  induce  me  to  become  a  party 
to  such  a  scheme." 

Maddox  laughed  softly. 

"  No  occasion  for  heat,"  he  said.  "  I  admire 
your  thick  and  thin  loyalty  if  I  don't  understand 
it.  To  me  Wentworth  has  always  seemed  rather 
a  chilly  proposition." 

As  he  spoke  he  stooped  to  pick  up  a  toy  which 
a  baby  in  a  perambulator  had  suddenly  flung  at 
his  feet,  and  as  he  bent  his  rough-hewn  face  to 
the  child's,  and  was  by  some  freemasonry  of  in 
fancy  hailed  instantly  for  a  friend,  he  seemed  a 
very  human  Maddox  indeed.  Drew  had  a  fleet 
ing  impulse  to  be  frank  with  him.  Why  should 
he  pretend  to  lofty  motives  when  his  compelling 
force  was  what  it  was  ?  There  was  no  hoodwink 
ing  of  self  in  the  equivocal  course  on  which  he 
saw  himself  embarked.  It  was  neither  state,  nor 
party,  nor  Wentworth,  but  Love  which  had  his 
first  allegiance.  Katherine  had  left  him  free,  as 
he  petitioned,  and  in  the  loosing,  bound  him. 

Then  Maddox  lifted  his  head.  The  kindly 
light  that  had  played  from  his  eyes  to  the 


THE    MASTERY  255 

cherub's  vanished.  He  presented  again  the  baf 
fling  mask  of  the  man  whom  the  superior  classes 
abhorred  and  the  masses  adored.  Arch-criminal 
of  a  colossal  band  of  freebooters,  or  benign  high 
priest  of  an  attempt  at  human  brotherhood  no 
less  vast,  these  were  his  Janus  faces !  Which 
was  his  true  presentment?  Or,  if  neither  wholly, 
what  part  of  each  ?  To  evoke  the  popular 
dilemma  was  to  nip  confidence.  They  walked 
on  in  a  long  silence  which  Maddox  broke  at  last, 
only  to  speak  of  indifferent  topics  till  each  went 
his  reticent  way. 

Drew  was  disturbed  by  the  interview.  That 
Maddox  would  swing  his  disciplined  forces  into 
line  for  Wentworth  at  the  legislative  caucus  if 
Wentworth  should  continue  in  the  field,  admitted 
of  no  doubt.  But  meanwhile  was  Maddox  to  be 
trusted  not  to  manoeuvre  for  Wentworth's  elimi 
nation  ?  Between  mid-December  and  mid-Janu 
ary  lay  opportunities  for  mischief  galore.  To  this 
anxiety  was  added,  with  the  adjournment  of  Con 
gress  for  the  holidays,  the  further  complication  of 
Wentworth's  presence  in  the  city.  Katherine  was 
able  to  give  but  the  briefest  notice  of  their  com 
ing,  reserving  explanations  till  she  should  arrive. 

"  This  is  madness,"  Drew  told  her,  when  they 
got  speech  together. 


256  THE    MASTERY 

"  He  would  have  it  so." 
"  He  should  have  been  dissuaded." 
"  We    tried    our    utmost,    but    we    dared    not 
cross  him.     He  insists  that  it  is  onlv  fitting  he 

«  o 

should  be  near  at  hand  when  the  Legislature 
acts." 

"  But  Armstrong  !    What  was  the  man  about?  " 

"  He  thought  that  to  consent  might  do  less 
harm  than  to  forbid.  Don't  blame  him,  Philip. 
He  has  been  all  kindness.  He  has  even  offered 
to  follow  us  here  should  it  seem  best." 

"  He  could  not  appreciate  the  risk.  He  could 
not  guess  —  " 

"  Guess  !  "  Her  tired  eyes  dilated  at  his  tone. 
"  Guess  what  ?  Is  there  some  new  trouble  ?  " 

Drew  mastered  himself.  He  must  not  add 
Maddox  to  her  anxieties. 

"  We  cannot  shield  him  here  as  in  Washing 
ton,"  he  said  hastily.  "  He  is  a  great  public 
character,  ever  under  the  searchlight  of  the  press. 
There  has  been  chatter  as  it  is  —  comment  upon 
his  apathy  in  the  Senate." 

They  stood  in  a  window  overlooking  Madison 
Square,  whose  clangor  penetrated  even  the  heavy 
panes.  All  the  city's  arteries  seemed  to  centre 
here.  Here  seemed  to  beat  the  civic  heart. 

"  We  must  go  to  another  hotel,"  she  said.    "  It 


THE   MASTERY  257 

must  be  some  quiet  place  —  less  public,  less 
dangerous." 

But  Wentworth  balked  with  gentle  obstinacy 
the  attempt  to  alter  the  habit  of  a  lifetime.  He 
protested  that  it  was  not  noisy  —  for  New  York  ; 
that  he  had  not  come  for  pastoral  quiet,  but  to 
meet  the  world;  that,  so  situated,  people  whom 
he  wanted  to  see  would  pass  his  way  and  so  save 
him  steps  for  which  he  felt  little  inclination. 
Finally,  and  he  presented  it  as  his  reason  in  chief, 
he  pointed  out  that  he  would  be  directly  upon 
the  ground  for  the  coming  conference  of  the  state 
leaders. 

"  I  have  been  remiss  in  the  past,"  he  told 
Drew,  serenely.  "  I  am  sensible  that  I  left  too 
much  upon  poor  Spedding's  shoulders.  I  must 
not  so  overburden  you." 

Drew  was  at  his  wits'  end.  Wentworth  seemed 
bent  upon  his  own  undoing,  howsoever  they  might 
plan.  The  admiral  was  a  listener,  and  when  the 
opportunity  offered,  he  took  Drew  aside  to  say 
that  he  surmised  that  he  was  contending  with 
more  than  he  disclosed. 

"  I'm  as  little  of  a  politician  as  any  man  alive," 
he  said,  "  but  if  it  will  ease  your  load,  I'll  lend  a 
hand." 

Drew  thanked  him  with  a  look, 


258  THE    MASTERY 

"  It  is  politics  I  would  put  away  from  him, 
admiral,"  he  returned.  "  Tole  him  from  this 
place  somehow  when  I  can't  stand  guard." 

It  was  a  measure  of  despair,  but  Austin  lent 
himself  to  it  without  question,  and  for  the  better 
part  of  a  week  they  maintained  an  alternating 
watch.  The  senator  was  fond  of  the  theatre,  and 
Katherine  sat  with  him  through  comedy  which 
was  tragedy,  and  through  tragedy  which  was 
comic  beside  the  gnawing  misery  within.  There 
were  certain  other  hours  which  Harriet  and  Dick, 
who  were  gift-buying  in  company,  helped  to  fill. 
They  were  unselfish,  as  lovers  go,  and,  knowing 
nothing  of  the  shadow  overhanging  every  one 
else,  radiated  light-heartedness. 

"  Hear  ye  !  Hear  ye  !  I've  actually  prevailed 
upon  Harriet  to  name  the  day,"  Dick  promptly 
announced,  with  the  air  of  one  who  had  taken  a 
city.  "  I  wanted  to  launch  the  matrimonial  boat 
on  January  first,  but  Harriet  —  " 

"  Harriet  didn't  choose  to  be  taken  up  like  a 
New  Year  resolution,"  completed  the  bride-elect 
with  spirit.  "  After  Lent  is  quite  soon  enough, 
when  you  once  consider  everything  that's  to  be 
done  —  " 

"  So  I  stipulated  high  noon  Easter  Monday," 
laughed  Dick  ;  "  the  earliest  minute  after  Lent 


THE    MASTERY  259 

possible.     If  you're  not  there  on  the  dot,  you'll 
miss  the  ceremony." 

"But  that  college  settlement,  Miss  Harriet?" 
rallied  Wentworth,  who  took  an  amused  inter 
est  in  their  badinage.  "  What  will  become  of 
that?" 

"  Senator  !  "  Dick's  solemnity  was  prodigious. 
"  If  you  knew  the  pains  I've  been  to  in  order  to 
hurdle  that  obstacle,  you  would  let  sleeping  dogs 
lie.  In  the  end  1  only  won  her  over  by  proving 
with  a  kodak  that  even  Two  Rivers  isn't  wholly 
sanitary,  prosperous,  and  of  good  report.  Why, 
for  a  honeymoon  treat  I'll  undertake  to  show  her 
a  corner  in  our  factory  district  that  needs  a  bath 
as  much  as  any  spot  below  Fourteenth  Street 
you  can  specify.  If  that  isn't  an  inducement,  I 
don't  know  one." 

Of  his  own  motion  Wentworth  now  took  occa 
sion  to  let  them  know  how  matters  stood  between 
Katherine  and  Drew,  and  amid  the  jubilant  an- 
tiphony  sung  by  Harris  and  his  fiancee,  missed  the 
fact  transparent  to  her  lover  that  Katherine  was 
battling  for  the  whip-hand  of  emotions  almost 
beyond  control.  Abetted  by  Mrs.  Austin,  who 
saw  without  understanding,  Drew  therefore  con 
trived  to  postpone  the  interchange  of  girlish 
confidences  for  which  Harriet  was  obviously 


260  THE    MASTERY 

eager,  and  somehow  shunted  Dick,  still  bubbling 
congratulations,  out  of  hearing. 

An  urgent  business  appointment  took  Drew 
into  the  lower  city,  and  it  was  past  his  usual 
dinner  hour  when  he  reentered  the  hotel  lobby 
and,  to  his  concern,  saw  Wentworth  the  centre  of 
a  little  knot  of  notables  and  habitues  of  the 
corridors,  of  whom  Maddox  was  one.  Austin 
came  a  little  way  to  meet  him. 

"  It's  been  but  a  moment,"  he  explained  has 
tily.  "  I  hadn't  the  heart  to  interfere.  He's 
enjoying  it  so  !  " 

Drew  nodded  reassuringly.  After  all  it  was 
hardly  the  time  or  place  to  fear  mischief  from 
Maddox. 

"  The  old  corner  has  a  gathering  worthy  of  its 
reputation  to-night,"  he  said. 

It  was  a  famous  spot.  For  years  these  benches 
had  been  the  lounging-place  of  celebrity.  They 
constituted  a  kind  of  exchange  for  anecdote  and 
wit,  not  unlike  the  coffee-house  of  an  earlier  cen 
tury.  It  happened  that  the  present  tenants  of 
the  "  Corner "  were  each  in  some  respect  note 
worthy.  Besides  Wentworth,  Maddox,  and  the 
admiral,  the  group  could  boast  a  war  hero  and  a 
great  editor,  and  the  fringe  of  nobodies  sur 
rounding  the  somebodies  seemed  to  attest  that 


THE    MASTERY  261 

the  talk  was  thought  not  below  the  standard  of 
tradition. 

"  Clay  smiled  at  that,"  —  it  was  the  mellow 
flow  of  Wentworth's  reminiscence  Drew  caught 
as  he  neared  the  company,  —  "and,  gentlemen,  I 
wish  I  had  power  to  convey  to  you  something  of 
the  magic  of  Clay's  smile.  It  won  you  like  sun 
light  routing  a  May-day  shower.  Webster's  was 
different  —  the  momentary  rift  in  a  thunder-head. 
You  might  admire  Webster ;  you  loved  Harry 
Clay.  But  at  this  rate  I  shan't  finish  my  story." 

Then,  as  the  bystanders  parted  for  Drew, 
Wentworth  made  the  younger  man  welcome  with 
a  smile  scarcely  less  winning  than  the  one  of  his 
describing.  He  looked  rather  paler  than  his  wont. 

"  Don't  let  me  interrupt  you,  sir,"  Drew  said. 

Wentworth  smiled  still  and  gazed  fixedly  before 
him.  His  auditors  wondered  a  little  at  his  pro 
longed  silence,  but  most  thought  him  groping  in 
the  rich  storehouse  of  his  memory  for  some  fugi 
tive  detail.  Suddenly  Maddox,  who  sat  nearest, 
darted  forward  and  braced  the  swaying  form. 

"  The  man  is  sick  !  "   he  exclaimed. 

There  was  a  commotion  in  the  corner.  Then 
the  house  physician  shouldered  through  and  took 
charge.  Drew  and  the  admiral  were  at  either 
hand.  Austin's  glance  met  Drew's. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THEY  buried  Wentworth  near  "  The  Beeches," 
and  his  world  paused  briefly  to  do  him  honor. 
The  President  wrote  Katherine  a  letter  which 
lay  hours  in  her  lap  unopened ;  the  dead  states 
man's  fellow-senators  murmured  idle  condolences 
to  which  her  ears  were  stopped ;  the  eulogies  of 
the  press  went  unread.  She  moved  through  all 
that  must  be,  enveloped  in  a  vague  benumbing 
haze,  which  had  fallen  with  the  final  blow. 

In  the  beginning  this  inertia  had  seemed  to 
those  about  her  a  healing  thing,  but  its  persist 
ence  stirred  alarm.  Mrs.  Austin  advocated  plain 
speaking. 

"  She  owes  it  to  herself  to  rouse.  She  owes  it 
to  you,  Philip.  I  shall  tell  her  so." 

"  I  beg  that  you  will  not  mention  my  name," 
he  returned  quickly.  "  I  can  wait." 

When  Katherine's  awakening  came,  —  and  it 
followed  swiftly,  —  it  was  from  without.  After 
the  funeral  Austin  placed  a  recent  will  in  Drew's 
hands  with  the  surprising  announcement  that  they 
two  had  been  named  as  its  executors.  Drew 

262 


THE    MASTERY  263 

immediately  arranged  for  the  presence  of  the 
attesting  witnesses  and  explained  to  Katherine  the 
necessity  for  her  brief  appearance  before  the  sur 
rogate,  to  which  she  gave  a  mechanical  assent  and 
as  mechanically  performed. 

As  the  early  dusk  closed  in  they  sat  sadly 
grouped  in  the  railroad  station  of  the  county-seat, 
awaiting  the  tardy  coming  of  their  return  train. 
It  was  the  typical  country  waiting-room  of  the 
well-nigh  typical  steam  railroad  —  the  frugal  cor 
poration  whose  directorate  swells  the  luxuries  of 
patrons  who  may  pick  and  choose  by  filching 
comforts  from  those  who  patronize  because  they 
must.  The  supreme  sop  cast  by  this  parsimony 
in  the  direction  of  the  unessential  took  the  form 
of  cuspidors  of  which  these  dreary  watchers  now 
confronted  no  less  than  three,  earthen,  titanic, 
superfluous.  When  this  prospect  palled,  there 
remained  sundry  time-tables  tacked  against  grimy 
plastering,  and  the  pot-bellied  stove,  which, 
though  it  glowed  like  a  burning  world,  merely 
vitiated  the  atmosphere  without  tempering  the 
raw  drafts  from  loose-hung  door  and  sagging  sash 
that  swept  the  frigid  zone  appointed  to  the  seats. 
Huddled  in  his  coat-collar,  the  admiral  exchanged 
an  occasional  word  with  his  wife  or  Drew  who 
answered  in  monosyllables.  All  three  maintained 


264  THE    MASTERY 

a  furtive  watch  upon  Katherine,  who,  with  eyes 
closed  beneath  her  shrouding  crape,  sat  motionless. 

The  brief  halt  of  a  main-line  express  heartened 
them  a  little.  Austin  fared  forth  in  search  of  a 
train-boy  with  New  York  papers,  returning  pres 
ently  with  a  handful  of  the  evening  editions 
which  he  vainly  urged  upon  the  others.  His  own 
reading  was  brief.  He  had  scarcely  adjusted  his 
glasses  before  he  uttered  a  cry  of  amazement. 

"  Philip,"  he  besought,  "  read  this  !  " 

Drew  devoured  the  indicated  headlines  and 
whitened  as  he  read.  The  admiral  sought  an 
explanation  in  his  face  and  met  a  bewilderment  as 
ingenuous  as  his  own.  With  the  common  impulse 
of  warding  a  blow  from  Katherine,  both  turned. 
Austin's  cry  had  roused  her,  and  she  was  facing 
them  inquiringly.  As  they  hesitated  she  threw 
back  her  heavy  veil. 

"  There  can  be  nothing  worse  than  I  already 
know,"  she  said  steadily.  "  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  A  contemptible  piece  of  treachery  !  "  Drew 
exclaimed.  "  The  governor  —  "  He  choked  in 
his  great  anger  and  broke  off:  "  Here  !  Read 
for  yourself,  Katherine." 

She  read  and  then  read  the  staring  capitals 
again  as  if  they  conveyed  no  intelligible  meaning. 
It  was  her  aunt,  reading  with  her,  who  gave  them 
voice. 


THE    MASTERY  265 

"  Redfern  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  The  governor 
has  put  Redfern  in  my  brother's  place  !  But 
Philip  !  it  is  legislatures,  not  governors,  that  make 
senators  !  " 

"  He  has  power  to  fill  a  vacancy  if  the  Legisla 
ture  is  not  in  session." 

"  But  the  Legislature  will  meet  in  a  day  or  two, 
a  week  at  utmost.  Hasn't  he  created  the  senator 
of  a  week  ?  " 

"  A  senator  without  a  seat,"  added  the  admiral. 
"  Congress  is  not  in  session." 

A  passionate  gesture  of  Katherine's  cut  them 
short.  Every  vestige  of  color  had  forsaken  her 
face,  but  the  look  she  bent  upon  Drew  burnt  its 
way  to  his  heart. 

"  Is  this  your  leadership  ?  "  she  asked. 

He  recoiled  as  from  a  stinging  physical  blow, 
but  he  forbore  to  answer  her.  He  could  sound 
the  depths  of  her  bitter  anger  but  too  accurately. 
Time  might  convince  her  of  his  personal  blame- 
lessness.  It  was  not  for  him  to  intrude  his  excul 
pation.  But  Mrs.  Austin  would  not  passively 
suffer  this  injustice. 

"  Shame  upon  you,  Katherine  !  "  she  rebuked. 
"  Can  you  forget  what  he  has  been  to  us  ?  Do  you 
appreciate  his  unselfish  service  of  months?  Has 
he  been  thinking  of  politics  in  these  last  days  ?  " 


266  THE    MASTERY 

The  girl  seemed  not  to  hear. 

"  That  man  !  That  man  of  all  men  to  succeed 
him,"  she  kept  repeating.  "  That  marplot  against 
my  noble  father's  peace  !  " 

She  left  them  abruptly  and  went  to  the  barren 
room's  far  end  where  she  stood  long  gazing  out 
into  the  night.  The  last  loafer  had  deserted  the 
station.  Save  a  man  in  a  green  eye-shade,  who 
stooped  continually  above  a  clicking  telegraph 
instrument  in  the  ticket-agent's  little  cell,  they 
were  again  sole  tenants. 

"  She  will  be  just,  in  time,  poor  girl,"  said 
Austin.  "  Philip,  what  does  this  trickery  of  the 
governor's  mean  ?  " 

"  I  can  only  guess  like  yourself." 

"At  least  you  guess  in  a  field  you  know." 

"  Know  !  "  Drew  echoed  bitterly.  "  Katherine 
has  commented  trenchantly  upon  the  scope  of 
my  knowledge."  After  a  moment  he  said  more 
calmly  :  "  The  governor  is  a  friend  of  Redfern's, 
and  did  him  a  supposed  service.  The  move  was 
probably  meant  to  give  him  a  greater  prestige 
when  the  Legislature  comes  to  fill  this  seat  for 
which  he  has  long  been  an  avowed  candidate." 

"And  will  it?" 

Drew  shrugged,  but  his  jaw  set  significantly, 
and  Austin  felt  that  a  verbal  reply  would  be 


THE   MASTERY  267 

superfluous.  Indeed,  he  watched  him  walk  slowly 
down  the  room  to  Katherine,  with  a  welling  con 
fidence  that  all  would  yet  end  as  it  should. 

"  If  this  Redfern  appointment  doesn't  prove  a 
boomerang,  Sue,"  he  said,  "  then  I  don't  know 
Philip  Drew." 

His  wife's  anxious  eyes  were  intent  upon  the 
meeting  down  the  room. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  Katherine,"  she  answered 
irrelevantly. 

If  the  girl  heeded  Drew's  approach,  she  gave 
him  no  hint  of  it. 

"  Katherine,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  not  return  to 
'  The  Beeches  '  to-night." 

She  faced  about  at  his  words.  Her  veil  was 
still  thrown  back,  and  he  plumbed  the  full  unrea 
soning  depths  of  her  condemnation.  When  she 
spoke,  it  was  with  the  metallic  staccato  of  intense 
mental  strain. 

"  You  are  going  back  to  New  York  ?  " 

"Yes." 

«  To  fight  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Katherine." 

She  looked  him  long  and  narrowly  in  the  eyes, 
sounding  his  utmost  resolution.  Drew  forgot 
his  own  hurt  to  pity  hers. 

"  To  fight  hard  ?  " 


268  THE   MASTERY 

"  Need  you  ask  that  ?  " 

"  I  do  ask  it." 

"  To  fight  hard,"  he  asseverated. 

Again  the  steadfast  probing  look.  Then,  as 
if  she  found  him  lukewarm  in  his  championship, 
she  added  suddenly  :  — 

"  As  if  I  were  in  the  scale  ?  No  ;  not  '  if,'  ' 
she  flashed  as  his  expression  altered  ;  "  not  if.  I 
shall  be." 

He  was  fiery  enough  now. 

"  No,  Katherine,"  he  protested.     "  No,  I  say." 

"  I  say  yes.  My  father  made  you  the  execu 
tor  of  his  estate.  I  charge  you  with  the  safe 
keeping  of  his  memory.  If  you  reverenced  him, 
—  if  you  love  me,  —  you  will  not  see  him  dis 
honored  by  such  a  successor." 

The  man's  self-control  gave  way.  Anger  con 
quered  anxiety. 

"  Can  you  think  me  indifferent  to  this  insult 
of  the  governor's  ?  "  he  demanded  hotly.  "  Do 
I  love  James  Redfern  so  much  that  I  will  tamely 
acquiesce  ?  Do  I  need  your  rowelling  to  make 
me  work  to  purge  my  leadership  from  contempt  ? 
Be  reasonable,  Katherine,  be  kind.  Don't,  don't, 
I  implore  you,  put  our  happiness  in  jeopardy." 

"  My  happiness  is  in  jeopardy.  It  lies  with 
you  to  save  it  —  with  you  alone." 


THE    MASTERY  269 

In  the  outer  night  the  whistle  of  the  dilatory 
accommodation  hooted  down  the  wind.  As  the 
building  quaked  and  jarred  to  the  oncoming  train 
Drew's  hand  shut  upon  Katherine's  wrist  in  an 
iron  grip. 

"  You  shan't  slip  from  me,  Katherine,"  he  ex 
claimed  hoarsely.  "  You  shan't,  by  heaven,  you 
shan't !  I'll  crush  that  man  who  has  made  you 
unhappy.  His  defeat  shall  be  a  bitter  morsel  — 
the  bitterest  he  can  know.  He  shall  see  me  take 
the  senatorship  —  me^  Katherine,  whom  he  hates 
—  hates  as  I  love  you." 

As  he  whirled  southward  alone  he  tried  to 
believe  her  words  the  unweighed  outburst  of 
hysteria,  but  it  was  futile.  No  self-deception 
could  gloze  her  behest.  She  had  meant  literally 
what  she  said,  and  he  roused  in  passion  —  as  she 
would  have  it  —  to  do  battle.  By  her  handiwork 
it  was  again  a  bitter  personal  struggle  between 
him  and  Redfern,  and  all  the  old  bramble  growth 
of  injuries  given  and  received  flourished  afresh 
to  fret  and  inflame  his  wrath. 

It  was  his  intention  to  see  Maddox  at 
once,  but  he  reached  the  city  too  late  for 
immediate  action.  Early  in  the  morning,  how 
ever,  he  sought  the  redoubtable  boss's  presence  at 
the  tawdry  building  which  was  the  headquarters 


270  THE   MASTERY 

of  his  clan.  Neither  man  was  prone  to  waste 
time  in  approach,  and  the  door  of  the  well-known 
back  room  which  was  Maddox's  council-chamber 
had  scarcely  shut  when  Drew  broached  his  busi 
ness. 

"  Mr.  Maddox,"  he  said,  "you  stated  not  long 
ago  that  you  should  like  to  see  me  a  candidate 
for  the  United  States  Senate." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  did,"  assented  his  auditor,  gently. 

"  Since  then  I  have  in  a  measure  come  to  your 
way  of  thinking." 

Maddox  ashed  his  cigar  .with  nicety. 

"  My  previous  way  of  thinking,"  he  dropped 
in  mild  amendment,  his  eye  sauntering  to  a 
crayon  portrait  of  his  immediate  predecessor. 

Drew  caught  his  breath,  and  for  a  vain  instant 
waited  until  the  abstracted  gaze  should  meet  his 
own. 

"  Am  I  to  infer  that  you  have  changed  your 
mind?" 

"About  that." 

"  May  I  ask  why  ?  " 

Maddox  turned  his  rocklike  front  squarely  to 
his  interlocutor  at  last. 

"There's  been  a  new  deal,"  he  vouchsafed 
calmly.  "  There's  been  a  new  deal,  and  you're 
no  longer  trumps." 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

DREW  met  him  with  a  face  as  stonily  inscru 
table  as  his  own. 

"  I'm  a  poor  card-player,"  he  said.  "  Do  you 
refer  to  Senator  Wentworth's  death  ?  " 

"  I  do,"  came  the  measured  secretion  of 
Maddox's  speech.  "  I  didn't  want  Wentworth 
again,  but  he  had  the  right  of  way.  He'd  have 
given  you  the  track  peaceably,  however,  and  so 
I  favored  you." 

"You  knew  it  was  impossible." 

"  I  didn't  till  you  told  me,"  returned  Maddox, 
simply.  "  And  now  you  say  you  want  the  job 
after  all !  If  you  didn't  know  your  own  mind, 
you  can't  reasonably  expect  me  to  know  it." 

Whether  he  confronted  consummate  guile  or 
sheer  obliquity  of  moral  vision,  or  something  of 
both,  Drew  was  at  no  pains  to  unravel.  His 
personal  humiliation  had  gone  far  enough. 

"  I  owed  you  the  announcement  of  my  inten 
tion,"  he  said,  rising.  "  That's  all." 

"  Wait  a  minute,  Drew,"  Maddox  sent  affa- 
271 


272  THE    MASTERY 

bly  after  him  before  he  reached  the  door.  "  I 
guess  it's  only  fair  and  above  board  for  me  to 
announce  something  myself.  Of  course,  after 
you  assured  me  so  strongly  that  you  weren't 
in  the  running,  I  felt  free  to  look  about.  In 
a  way  I've  promised  another  party  my  help. 
But  don't  let  that  cut  any  ice." 

"  It  won't,"  Drew  countered  crisply.  "  Good 
day." 

He  went  forth  with  clarified  vision,  sober  yet 
undismayed.  There  was  no  need  to  ask  whom 
Maddox  had  picked  for  his  candidate.  The 
past  shed  abundant  light,  and  a  future  no  more 
remote  than  the  afternoon  papers  was  to  publish 
Maddox's  conviction  that  the  logical  successor 
to  the  governor's  admirable  appointee  was  James 
Y.  Redfern  himself.  It  was  an  opinion  with  which 
many  instantly  differed,  and  at  the  eleventh  hour 
of  the  retiring  governor's  term,  Redfern  made  a 
politic  declination  of  the  honor  with  the  state 
ment  that  he  would  be  a  candidate  before  the 
Legislature. 

Drew  saw  in  the  stirring  days  which  followed 
that  he  had  blundered  in  his  commerce  with 
Maddox.  There  was  but  one  possible  attitude 
toward  him  and  all  his  works.  The  issue  had 
broadened  far  beyond  the  merely  personal ;  it 


THE    MASTERY  273 

was  no  longer  a  question  of  feeding  fat  an  ancient 
grudge ;  the  pawn  Redfern  was  overshadowed  by 
the  hand  of  the  real  player ;  the  battle  predicted 
by  wise  old  Spedding  was  nigh.  Maddox  the 
sinister,  Maddox  the  spoilsman  unabashed,  Mad 
dox  the  unresponsible  sponsor  for  civic  loot, 
extortion,  and  blackmail ;  Maddox,  whom  the 
pulpit  and  the  press  denounced  as  the  moral 
accomplice  of  the  gambler,  the  harlot,  and  the 
criminal,  was  at  last  stretching  out  his  hand  to 
snare  the  state !  It  was  with  this  spirit  that 
Drew  strove  to  fire  the  closest  of  his  adherents, 
though  it  was  far  from  his  intent  to  flaunt  his 
own  practice  or  the  methods  of  up-state  party 
men  in  general  as  models  of  political  purity.  In 
his  heart  of  hearts  he  harbored  a  keen  regret  that 
passion  had  flung  him,  rather  than  some  better 
man,  to  the  forefront  of  the  fight. 

"  It's  only  the  spasmodic  reformer  who  has 
the  cheek  to  make  a  campaign  emblem  of  the 
halo,"  he  told  Dick  one  night  in  his  Albany  head 
quarters.  "  I'm  merely  a  machine  man,  dyed- 
in-the-wool,  with  a  tolerably  elastic  conscience 
toward  ways  and  means  if  the  thing  to  be  done 
is  worth  while.  We  can't  always  be  dainty  in 
weapons.  The  goal  itself  is  the  real  criterion, 
and  that's  the  eternal  rock  on  which  the  down- 


274  THE    MASTERY 

state  people  and  the  up-state  people  began  to 
split  long  before  Maddox  and  I  were  born." 

With  this  avowal  in  vivid  remembrance,  Dick 
thought  his  uncle's  position  needlessly  quixotic 
in  an  affair  which  just  afterward  came  to  light. 
It  was  the  night  before  the  meeting  of  the  joint 
caucus  of  the  legislative  majority,  and  after  many 
days  of  guesswork  and  mirage  the  situation  had 
begun  to  define  itself.  Drew's  lead  was  certain. 
That  fact  had  been  patent  from  the  outset.  But 
whether  this  advantage  would  amount  to  control, 
no  man  might  positively  say.  If  he  had  con 
fronted  Redfern  alone,  the  issue  would  never  have 
seemed  open  to  question,  but  it  was  no  longer  a 
matter  of  Redfern  singly.  Chronic  malcontents 
of  the  western  counties,  with  whom  Spedding 
had  had  more  than  a  few  brushes,  now  put  for 
ward  a  candidate  of  their  own,  one  Lawrence  by 
name,  and  the  impression  was  common  that  the 
guiding  genius  of  Maddox  had  engineered  a 
quasi-coalition.  Drew  had  gone  to  bed,  but  was 
yet  awake  when  Harris,  who  had  been  absent 
since  early  the  previous  day,  entered  his  bed 
room  adjoining  and  assailed  the  connecting  door. 

"  Reading  in  bed  ?  "  he  said,  advancing  to  peer 
at  the  volume.  "And  fiction  at  that!  I've  a 
tale  here  that  discounts  fiction.  Philip,  I  have 


THE   MASTERY  275 

proof —  sworn  proof,  mind   you  —  that   Redfern 
bought  one  of  the  up-state  assemblymen." 

"  You  mean  the  member  from  Tuscarora,  I 
suppose  ?  " 

Dick's  countenance  fell  ludicrously. 

"  How  in  thunder  do  you  know  ?  "  he  gasped. 

"  I  guessed." 

Dick  brightened. 

"  Then  you  have  nothing  more  tangible  than 
suspicions  ?  " 

"  Not  much  else.  McQuade  reported  some 
of  the  lobby  chatter." 

"Well,  I've  something  better  —  or  worse,  as 
you  like  it,"  Dick  said,  producing  a  little  sheaf 
of  papers.  "  I  have  the  sworn  testimony  of  men 
who  know  of  the  actual  transfer  of  spondulics  !  " 

Drew  gave  the  affadavits  a  lawyer-like  exami 
nation,  methodically  refolded  them,  and  sat 
propped  among  his  pillows  gravely  preoccupied. 

"No  flaw  in  that  evidence,  I  take  it?"  Dick 
hazarded  complacently. 

"  No.      It  is  conclusive." 

"  I  should  say  so.  I  had  to  go  to  New  York 
this  morning  to  clinch  the  matter." 

"  Thank  you,  boy." 

Harris  waited  a  respectful  interval  for  his 
chief's  thought  to  crystallize  in  speech  and  deed, 


276  THE   MASTERY 

but  becoming  impatient  at  last  he  jogged  him 
with  an  eager  :  — 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it  ?  " 

"  It's  the  sad  common  story  of  the  man  who 
should  have  been  studying  scientific  agriculture  to 
lift  the  mortgage  on  his  farm  instead  of  running 
for  office." 

"  Pillar  in  his  church  and  father  of  six,"  added 
Dick. 

"  Not  unusual  details." 

"  There'll  be  great  pickings  for  the  corner 
grocery  statesmen  in  his  district  when  this  thing 
comes  out.  But  how  shall  you  use  it?  That's 
the  problem.  If  you  give  the  story  to  the  press 
to-night,  —  it's  not  too  late,  —  it  will  knock  Red- 
fern  higher  than  Gilderoy's  kite  before  the  caucus 
can  even  meet.  But  I  suppose  that's  hardly 
to  your  taste,"  he  pursued,  seeing  Drew  irre 
sponsive.  "Too  journalistic,  too  theatrical,  eh? 
Still,  I  can't  see  that  it  will  be  any  less  sensational 
to  spring  it  in  caucus  or  legislative  session.  How 
shall  you  make  it  public,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  In  no  way." 

"  What !  "  Dick  bounced  off  his  perch  on  the 
foot-rail.  "  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  won't 
make  this  thing  public  at  all  ?  " 

"  I  do,  boy." 


THE    MASTERY  277 

"  With  this  combination  lined  up  against  you  ! 
This  is  the  one  case  of  boodling  that  has  come 
to  light,  but  you're  not  the  innocent  to  suppose 
there  aren't  others  under  cover  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  I  say  fight  fire  with  fire." 

"  And  bribes  with  bribes  ?  Your  logic  comes 
home  to  that." 

"  Why,  yes,"  cried  Dick,  recklessly.  "  I  think 
I  would  if  it  came  to  a  pinch." 

"  No  New  York  man  has  yet  gone  into  the 
United  States  Senate  with  that  stigma  upon 
his  election.  I  am  not  afraid  that  Redfern 
will  establish  a  precedent.  Assuredly  I  shall 
not." 

"  Yet  as  state  chairman  you  don't  let  yourself 
scrutinize  the  final  use  of  every  dollar  of  a  cam 
paign  fund.  Your  state  committeemen  render  no 
accounts,  and  it's  mighty  convenient  that  they 
don't  sometimes.  Moreover,  you  can't  convince 
me  that  all  those  city  fathers  fell  into  line  for 
our  street-railway  franchise  simply  out  of  prin 
ciple.  They  might  not  have  got  the  dough  as 
the  Mail  intimated,  but  I  could  see  with  half  an 
eye  that  their  friends  got  contracts." 
Drew  smiled  upon  him  affectionately. 
"  Aren't  we  wandering  a  bit  ?  " 


278  THE    MASTERY 

"  I  dare  say.  But  if  your  statement  that  the 
goal  itself's  the  criterion  is  to  hold  water  —  " 

"Then  I  am  proved  inconsistent?  I'm  often 
that." 

Harris  was  keenly  disappointed  and  took  no 
pains  to  conceal  it.  Drew  captured  his  hand. 

"  Thank  you  again  for  all  you've  done,  Dick. 
Don't  be  piqued  because  I  can't  publish  this 
abroad.  I  hold  it  back  through  no  tenderness 

O 

for  this  clumsy  assemblyman  ;  he  deserves  punish 
ment  ;  nor  for  Redfern,  as  you  know  well  enough. 
It  would  hit  the  party  hardest,  you  see,  and  back 
of  that  —  above  that,  I  might  better  say  —  the  state 
itself,  of  which  in  our  several  ways  we  are  all  proud." 

Twenty-four  hours  later  the  forces  were  aligned 
in  the  open.  The  joint  caucus  had  met,  organ 
ized,  listened  to  the  speeches  of  nomination,  and 
cast  a  single  ballot  whose  poll  fell  short  by  three 
votes  only  of  a  majority  for  Drew.  Then  the 
rumored  coalition  betrayed  its  reality.  With  the 
caucus  in  its  present  temper  a  second  ballot 
might  mean  a  rout,  and  the  two  lesser  factions 
accordingly  forced  an  adjournment.  Absent  in 
body,  —  and  at  no  time  during  the  struggle  did 
he  set  foot  in  Albany,  —  Maddox  was  most  em 
phatically  present  in  mind. 

Legislators  and  spectators  trooped  out  of  the 


THE    MASTERY  279 

capitol  into  the  wintry  night  and  thronged  the 
hotel  headquarters  of  the  three  candidates.  Drew 
was  at  home  to  all  who  came,  and  wore  the  look, 
if  not  the  heart,  of  a  victor,  since  there  were  more 
than  a  few  long  faces  to  be  shortened.  At  the 
last  he  had  known  his  resources  to  a  man,  and 
therefore  met  the  foreseen.  He  had  not  indulged 
in  prophecy,  however,  and  those  who  had  hoped 
all  things  were  proportionately  cast  down.  Harris 
was  disconsolate. 

"  You'd  be  the  caucus  nominee  now  if  you 
had  taken  my  advice,"  he  muttered. 

"  Get  out,  you  wet  blanket !  "  Drew  rallied. 
"  Model  yourself  upon  Assemblyman  McQuade 
over  there." 

"  There's  nothin'  left  'em  but  th'  formal  sur 
render,"  Dick  could  hear  the  Irishman  holding 
forth  with  his  brogue  at  its  raciest.  "  Th'  journ- 
ment  a  victhry  f 'r  them  ?  You're  full  of  prunes  ! 
'Tis  a  white  flag!  Of  course  there'll  be  nothin' 
doin'  in  th'  Senate  an'  Assembly  to-morrow,  but 
th'  second  ballot  in  joint  caucus  '11  do  th'  thrick." 

He  erred.  The  second  ballot  of  the  follow 
ing  night  did  not  do  the  trick,  nor  yet  the  third 
ballot,  nor  the  fourth,  nor  fifth,  all  of  which  the 
combined  opposition  permitted  before  they  once 
again  resorted  to  the  expedient  of  adjournment. 


280  THE    MASTERY 

This  was  the  story  of  four  successive  encounters. 
By  day  the  Legislature  would  gather  itself  to 
gether  in  joint  convention,  and  before  crowded 
galleries  repeat  monotonously  the  unvarying  poll 
of  the  preceding  night.  The  newspapers  devoted 
column  upon  column  to  the  deadlock,  and  their 
editors,  each  according  to  his  bias,  lectured  the 
legislators  upon  their  plain  duty  to  the  state. 
Then  the  week  ended,  the  contending  forces  scat 
tered,  and  a  Sunday  tranquillity  brooded  over  the 
battlefield. 

Drew  remained  upon  the  ground  against  the 
friendly  counsellings  of  Harris  who  intended  a 
circling  flight  which  should  encompass  not  only 
the  Post-Messenger  office  at  home,  but  New  York 
and  Harriet. 

"  I'd  use  the  truce  to  run  down  and  see  Kath- 
erine  if  I  were  you,"  Dick  advised,  suit-case  in 
hand.  "  It  would  bring  her  up  to  date  and  put 
ginger  into  you." 

Drew  found  neither  argument  persuasive. 
The  abiding  image  of  a  face  spirit-pale  against 
its  inky  veilings  was  sufficient  incentive.  Fur 
thermore,  though  he  had  not  spoken  with  Kath- 
erine  since  that  night  in  the  dingy  depot,  she 
knew  absolutely  all  he  had  to  tell.  No  day  had 
passed  over  her  without  its  letter  from  him,  and 


THE    MASTERY  281 

most  brought  also  telegrams  couched  in  a  cipher 
code  which  they  had  long  since  found  occasion  to 
adopt. 

Monday  night's  balloting  brought  no  change. 
Tuesday  dawned  with  the  press  clamorous  and 
the  temper  of  the  Legislature  parlous.  From 
both  quarters  blew  a  wind  which,  if  not  ill, 
was  at  least  admonitory.  A  Lawrence  partisan 
summed  it  up  for  McQuade  in  the  Assembly 
lobby  just  as  the  routine  joint  convention  of  the 
two  houses  began  its  perfunctory  work. 

"  If  it  was  good  politics  for  Livingston  and 
Redfern  to  pull  out  of  the  state  convention 
deadlock,"  he  pertinently  asked,  "why  isn't  it 
good  politics  for  Drew  and  Redfern  now  ?  A 
doctor  shouldn't  shy  at  his  own  medicine." 

McQuade  occasionally  ran  short  of  arguments, 
but  he  never  lacked  a  reply. 

"A  hell  of  a  lot  you  know  about  medicine,"  he 
retorted.  "  Accordin'  t'  th'  Red  Book  you're  a 
grocer.  Shtick  t'  your  sand-an'-sugar,  me  man  !  " 

As  the  contest  progressed  this  daily  formality 
had  become  more  and  more  a  popular  spectacle ; 
and  the  general  belief  in  an  impending  solution 
of  some  sort  had  sufficed  to  pack  the  lofty  cham 
ber's  galleries,  and  to  abuse  the  lax  privilege  of 
the  floor.  Drew  himself  chanced  now  to  be 


282  THE    MASTERY 

among  the  crowd  behind  the  lobby  rail,  as  the 
senators  filed  in  two  by  two  and  the  lieutenant 
governor  took  his  place  beside  the  speaker ;  and 
McQuade  paused  on  his  way  to  his  seat  to  beg 
that  he  shut  his  ears  against  such  heresy  as  he 
had  just  rebuked.  Meanwhile  the  gavel  fell, 
and  the  monotony  of  the  roll-call  went  forward, 
each  man  rising  to  announce  his  preference  for 
Lawrence,  Redfern,  or  Drew,  precisely  as  he  had 
risen  and  spoken  time  and  again  before.  Then 
all  at  once  befell  an  unwonted  departure  from  the 
worn  formula.  Drew  swung  round  upon  the 
sudden  hush  and  beheld  one  of  the  assemblymen 
from  his  own  county  swaying  in  his  place  ob 
viously  under  stress  of  some  powerful  mental 
excitement.  The  man  stood  just  behind  the 
temporary  seats  in  the  well  set  apart  for  the  sena 
tors,  and  accordingly  in  full  view  of  the  now 
breathlessly  attentive  throng.  Though  his  words 
came  low  and  brokenly,  not  one  auditor  lost  their 
paralyzing  significance. 

"  I  feel  it  my  —  my  duty  to  say,"  he  faltered, 
"  that  I  have  been  offered  a  —  a  bribe  to  vote  for 
Mr.  Drew.  This  occurred  day  before  yesterday 
—  in  Two  Rivers.  The  —  the  sum  was  a  thou 
sand  dollars,  and  the  name  of  the  man  who  offered 
it  is  Harris  —  Richard  Harris." 


CHAPTER   XXV 

FOR  a  long  moment,  while  the  man  who  made 
this  astounding  statement  drooped  to  his  seat,  the 
whole  vast  chamber  seemed  to  hold  its  breath. 
The  mouth  of  the  lieutenant  governor  fell  fool 
ishly  ajar;  his  eye  questioned  the  Speaker's,  and 
found  it  blankly  uninspired  ;  the  gavel  of  author 
ity  hung  flaccidly  in  air.  Then  all  was  sudden 
uproar  and  confusion. 

The  outburst  spurred  Drew  to  self-defence, 
and  he  laid  hold  upon  his  dazed  lieutenant  with 
a  grip  of  steel.  A  faithful  aide,  McQuade  had 
seldom  served  as  his  legislative  spokesman,  but 
the  emergency  would  wait  upon  no  fastidious 
choice  of  instrument. 

"  Quick  !  "  he  charged.  "  Down  into  your 
place  and  demand  a  committee  of  investigation  ! 
It  must  come  first  from  us  !  " 

McQuade  shot  from  Drew's  arm  like  a  stone 
from  a  sling,  surged  through  the  crush,  and  clam 
ored  for  recognition.  A  dozen  others,  foes  and 
well-wishers  alike  yet  in  most  part  hostile,  were 
equally  insistent,  but  the  now  self-possessed  man 

283 


284  THE    MASTERY 

behind  the  gavel  caught  sight  of  McQuade's  pro 
pelling  force,  and  took  his  cue  accordingly.  The 
floor  was  McQuade's,  and  the  attack  met  its  first 
offset  in  rugged  terms  which  forever  endeared  the 
Irishman  to  Drew  and  Drew's  stanch  adherents. 
The  untoward  happening  was  assigned  its  par 
liamentary  pigeonhole,  and  the  roll-call  went 
forward.  If  the  blow  had  been  aimed  to  demor 
alize  the  ballot,  it  was  a  futile  stratagem.  The 
figures  remained  unchanged. 

The  present  was  saved.  It  was  vastly  another 
matter  to  face  the  future.  Of  his  personal  inno 
cence  Drew  made  a  ringing  assertion  to  the 
newspaper  representatives  who  waylaid  him  be 
fore  he  could  gain  his  headquarters,  and  con 
tinued  to  haunt  his  threshold  for  hours.  He 
assured  them  that  Harris  would  court  a  searching 
inquiry,  but  a  carking  doubt  lurked  behind  his 
surface  confidence.  The  accuser  had  been  so 
positive,  so  manifestly  sincere  in  his  disclosure 
which  cost  him  obvious  pain.  He  was  a  Red- 
fern  man,  but  of  a  name  unsmirched  by  any  of 
the  hints  and  half-assertions  of  corruption  which 
had  latterly  swarmed  about  his  candidate's  can 
vass.  No  one  had  ever  seen  reason  to  doubt  his 
word ;  hundreds  had  put  their  faith  in  it.  He 
was  a  trustee  of  charities,  a  director  of  banks,  a 


THE   MASTERY  285 

painstaking,  respected  worker  in  his  modest  legis 
lative  groove. 

"  There's  a  hideous  mistake  somewhere,  Larry," 
Drew  said.  "  That  man  Wilkins  was  telling  what 
he  believed  to  be  the  truth." 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,"  McQuade  doubted. 
"  He's  stood  for  James  Y.  through  thick  and 
thin." 

"/know." 

"  But  you'll  not  be  takin'  his  word  before  Dick 
Harris's  ?  " 

"  We  don't  know  Dick's  story  yet." 

cc  We  know  he's  got  horse-sense  anyhow. 
But  I  can't  figger  out  what  under  th'  blue 
canopy's  keepin'  him  away  fr'm  Albany." 

"  I've  wired  him  at  Two  Rivers  ;  I've  wired 
him  at  New  York.  They'll  use  his  absence 
against  him.  You  see  he  was  in  Two  Rivers 
Sunday.  McQuade,  you  don't  think  —  he's  not 
dropped  anything  which  would  make  you  think 
that  he  —  "  Drew  broke  off  with  a  groan.  "  Oh, 
I  can't  doubt  Dick  !  " 

The  spectacle  of  his  chief  with  the  barriers 
down  was  too  much  for  McQuade. 

"  Doubt  him  ?  "  he  blurted  huskily.  "  Not  by 
a  jugful !  An'  if  I  catch  anybody  doin'  it, 
I'll  punch  his  nut,  I  will !" 


286  THE    MASTERY 

But  the  doubting  heads  were  soon  too  many  for 
McQuade's  heroic  dissuasion.  The  investigating 
committee  was  prompt  in  beginning  its  probing, 
and  a  sensation-loving  mob  jammed  itself  into 
an  inadequate  little  room  of  the  capitol  to  see 
accuser  and  accused  stand  face  to  face.  Wilkins 
held  himself  prepared  to  testify ;  Harris  alone 
was  unready,  and  the  hearing  went  over  till  the 
morning  because  of  him.  Night  drew  on  with 
out  direct  word.  The  Post-Messenger  office  tele 
graphed  that  he  had  left  there  Sunday  evening, 
presumably  for  New  York.  Messages  to  his 
usual  metropolitan  stopping-place  and  to  a  club 
he  frequented  failed  to  locate  him.  Harriet 
Reeves  made  no  response  to  two  telegrams. 

Meanwhile  public  opinion  was  making.  Leg 
islative  Albany  knew  Wilkins  for  a  man  of  prob 
ity  ;  it  knew  Richard  Harris  merely  as  a  rather 
volatile  young  newspaper  man  with  a  precocious 
knowledge  of  the  seamy  side  of  human  nature 
and  apparently  few  scruples  against  exploiting  it. 
The  one  professed  himself  ready  at  a  minute's 
notice  to  substantiate  his  charges  ;  the  other  had 
sought  parts  unknown,  and  his  friends  could  still 
set  no  definite  time  when  he  would  confront  his 
traducer. 

While  Redfern  washed  his  hands  of  responsi- 


THE    MASTERY  287 

bility  for  Wilkins's  bombshell,  his  faction  was 
not  backward  in  profiting  by  the  demoralization  it 
wrought.  As  the  hours  lapsed,  man  after  man 
carried  Drew  tales  of  the  undermining  of  his 
support.  His  every  lieutenant  was  gloomy  with 
forebodings  of  the  swiftly  approaching  caucus  of 
the  night.  One  seceding  vote  might  loose  an 
avalanche,  and  when  Drew  thought  of  Redfern's 
traffickings  with  the  Tuscarora  weakling,  the 
sworn  proofs  of  whose  purchase  lay  even  now  at 
hand,  he  foresaw  only  too  clearly  what  might  be 
done  with  those  like  him.  In  a  moment's  pri 
vacy  he  went  over  the  papers  again.  The  chain 
was  perfect  to  a  link.  The  poor  creature's 
boasts  before  his  neighbors  of  what  he  might  if 
he  would ;  his  conferences  and  closetings ;  his 
sudden  affluence  and  liquidation  of  debts  long 
evaded  ;  his  maudlin  babble  which  brought  the 
deed  home  to  Redfern  himself — all  was  here. 
Dick  had  indeed  done  his  burrowings  well. 
Dick,  forsooth  !  And  who  was  Dick  to  cast  this 
stone  ! 

It  had  come  to  that  at  last.  Were  Dick's 
hands  no  less  defiled  ?  A  harpy  brood  of  infer 
ences  and  suspicions,  battened  down  till  now, 
flocked  forth  and  did  their  poisonous  worst.  He 
reviewed  the  lad's  apprenticeship  with  a  metro- 


288  THE    MASTERY 

politan  newspaper  whose  cleverness  and  moral 
standard  were  alike  diabolic,  and  hunted  down 
traces  of  its  influence  upon  his  later  life.  He 
thought,  with  a  twinge,  of  his  keen-witted  aid  in 
the  cut-throat,  street-railway  war  which  was  now 
such  ancient  history.  The  things  they  had  done 
had  been  fair  enough  in  war,  —  the  vast  civil  strife 
of  capital  against  capital,  —  but  it  was  a  grim 
school  in  which  Dick  had  proved  himself  so  apt 
a  scholar.  Then,  his  recent  words  !  His  frank 
advocacy  of  fighting  bribes  with  bribes  ! 

The  room  went  black  in  the  corners  while  he 
pondered.  He  roused,  moved  to  a  window,  and 
looked  down  upon  the  home-going  breadwinners 
climbing  the  steep  ascent  of  the  street.  In  two 
hours,  two  hours  and  a  half  at  utmost,  the  fateful 
caucus  would  assemble.  For  an  absorbed  inter 
val  he  passed  in  mental  review  the  as  yet  intact 
band  of  his  supporters,  weighing  them  man  by 
man.  They  had  attached  themselves  to  his  cause 
for  divers  motives,  some  patriotic,  some  gendered 
of  party  habit,  some  selfish  without  disguise.  The 
last  seemed  wofully  numerous  in  this  searching 
scrutiny.  Could  he  trust  them  in  extremity? 

He  turned  at  a  tap  at  his  door. 

"  News,  Larry  ?  " 

"  No   good   news,"   said    McQuade,  and  un- 


THE   MASTERY  289 

burdened  himself  of  one  more  dismal  yarn  of  the 
corridors.  He  wound  up  fatuously,  "  But  don't 
be  believin'  all  them  highbinders  say." 

Taken  singly  its  weight  was  trivial ;  as  the  cul 
mination  of  a  series  it  served  to  kick  the  beam. 
Drew  made  no  direct  comment,  but  he  turned  a 
switch,  flooded  the  room  with  light,  and  arrang 
ing  the  damning  papers  in  orderly  sequence, 
buttoned  them  grimly  under  his  coat. 

"  Larry,"  he  said,  "  I  want  you  to  find  out  as 
quietly  as  may  be  just  where  Redfern  is  and  who 
is  with  him." 

McQuade  gasped. 

"  Were  you  thinkin'  of  speakin'  with  James 
Y.?"  he  demanded  incredulously,  when  speech 
returned  to  him. 

"Yes." 

"  An'  alone  ?  " 

"  There'll  be  no  lying  to  fear,"  Drew  returned, 
meeting  his  implication.  "  Make  as  few  inquiries 
for  Redfern  as  you  can  and  if  possible  avoid  ask 
ing  his  hangers-on." 

"  Be  easy  as  t'  that,"  reassured  McQuade  from 
the  door.  "  There's  a  chambermaid  on  this  floor 
as  thinks  I'm  th'  one  man  in  th'  Assembly,  an' 
if  it's  her  afternoon  off,  I  know  a  smart  bell-boy 
that's  on." 


290  THE    MASTERY 

He  was  not  long  gone.  Redfern's  headquarters 
opened  upon  the  same  corridor  as  Drew's,  and, 
without  recourse  to  any  eyes  or  ears  save  his 
own,  McQuade  made  hurried  report  that  the 
candidate  was  in  his  rooms  and  alone. 

"He  was  startin'  down  t'  feed  his  face  an'  went 
back  for  somethin'  he'd  forgot,  leavin'  his  gang  in 
th'  elevator." 

Drew  left  his  room  straightway. 

"  I  shall  spoil  his  appetite,"  he  let  fall  grimly. 
"Thank  you,  Larry." 

McQuade  stayed  his  going  an  instant. 

"  You'll  not  be  beggin'  favors  of  James  Y.,  I 
guess  ? " 

Drew  shook  his  head. 

"  I'm  not  in  a  begging  mood." 

McQuade  saw  that  now.  The  carriage  of  the 
man  he  watched  move  resolutely  down  the  hall 
and  enter  Redfern's  door  was  not  a  suppliant's. 

It  could  have  been  but  some  five  minutes 
afterward  that  Dick  jumped  from  the  car-step  of 
a  belated  train  and  by  gradual  stages  found  him 
self  the  man  of  the  hour.  In  his  brief  transit 
from  train  to  omnibus,  a  man  he  knew  slightly 
gaped  at  him  as  if  he  were  a  ghost  and  nudged  a 
companion  to  share  the  spectacle.  As  the  bus 
toiled  up  the  precipitous  Albany  streets  a  person 


THE    MASTERY  291 

sitting  opposite,  of  whom  he  could  fish  up  no 
faintest  recollection,  brought  him  under  steady 
fire  of  the  most  uncomfortably  piercing  eyes  he 
had  ever  beheld.  While  passing  a  newspaper 
bulletin  girt  with  electric  bulbs,  he  read  incuri 
ously  that  "  Harris "  was  "  still  missing,"  and 
whimsically  concluded  that  some  one  of  the  name 
had  murdered  or  defaulted.  Then  he  noticed  that 
the  man  with  the  eyes  had  read,  marked,  and 
was  digesting  not  altogether  inwardly  the  same 
intelligence.  The  bus  had  backed  round  before 
the  hotel  entrance  before  the  fellow's  comi 
cal  inference  could  evoke  a  smile,  and  in  the 
lobby  he  forgot  it.  A  newspaper  correspondent 
pounced  upon  him  while  his  foot  still  touched 
the  doorsill. 

"  For  old  times'  sake,  Dicky  boy,"  he  en 
treated,  "give  me  a  scoop  of  this  affair  !  Remem 
ber  that  Brooklyn  trunk  mystery  I  threw  your 
way  that  time !  You'll  have  to  pump  up  some 
thing  for  the  rest  of  the  fellows  —  here  they  come, 
drat  'em  !  — but  give  me  the  inside  track  !  " 

The  pack  was  now  upon  him  in  full  cry. 

"  Hail !  Corrupter  of  the  virtuous  !  "  chaffed 
one. 

"  Talk  about  the  power  of  the  Press,"  said 
another. 


292  THE    MASTERY 

"  Bribe  me,  Dicky,"  invited  a  third.  "  I'm 
poor  and  needy." 

Harris  backed  off  and  considered  them. 

"  What  ails  you  jackasses  ?  "  he  asked  sweetly. 

He  only  provoked  a  fresh  outburst.  The 
opportunity  to  interview  a  fellow-reporter  is  not 
given  every  day. 

"  Oh,  fudge  !  " 

"  You  do  it  well  !  " 

"  Wake  up  and  find  yourself  infamous  !  " 

Then  they  tardily  comprehended  that  he 
shammed  nothing,  was  actually  ignorant  of  the 
day's  disclosures.  Half  a  dozen  lurid  evening 
editions  were  whipped  out  of  pocket  for  his 
perusal.  The  head-lines  in  themselves  were  suf 
ficient  to  tell  the  tale,  and  Harris  fell  upon  the 
pith  of  the  matter  swiftly.  They  saw  his  face  pale 
and  then  go  crimson.  Chagrin  succeeded  bewilder 
ment,  anger  displaced  chagrin.  His  look  wrung 
jocosity  out  of  them  like  water  from  a  sponge. 
One  finally  —  he  was  the  youngest  —  asked:  — 

"  Will  you  make  a  statement  for  publication  ?  " 

"  It's  a  damned  lie  !  "  flamed  Dick.  "  That's 
my  statement!  It's  a  dastardly  lie!  Where  is 
this  man  Wilkins  ?  " 

Some  one  had  lately  seen  him  in  the  writing 
room  and  said  so.  Dick  strode  promptly  toward 


THE    MASTERY  293 

that  quarter  followed  by  a  trailing  cloud  of  wit 
nesses  who  choked  the  apartment  to  the  corridor. 
Wilkins  drew  back  as  if  sorely  tempted  to  put 
the  width  of  a  table  between  himself  and  Harris, 
but  stopped  and  held  his  ground.  He  was  of  a 
mild,  gold-spectacled  aspect,  and  his  unexpected 
boldness  in  the  face  of  an  onslaught,  which 
seemed  at  any  moment  liable  to  become  physi 
cally  unpleasant,  had  a  sort  of  moral  dignity  that 
attested  his  sincerity. 

"  Mr.  Wilkins,  you  are  either  a  lunatic  or  a 
perjurer,"  said  Dick,  with  a  deceptive  calm. 
"  Have  you  the  cheek  to  stick  to  your  cock-and- 
bull  story  of  a  thousand-dollar  bribe  before  me?  " 

"  The  investigating  committee  will  listen  to 
both  our  stories  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Harris," 
answered  the  little  man,  fidgeting  with  his  pen 
holder.  "  I  bear  you  no  malice  personally.  I 
am  performing  a  painful  duty  —  a  deeply  painful 
duty.  These  things  smutch  the  honor  of  the 
whole  Legislature,  and  my  own  comfort  ought 
not  to  stand  in  the  way  of  their  uncovering." 

Dick  was  momentarily  baffled.  The  man  spoke 
and  bore  himself  like  no  man's  henchman. 

"  Oh,  but  we  must  thresh  this  mess  out  some 
how  ! "  he  exclaimed  desperately.  "  What  is 
your  story?  In  heaven's  name,  out  with  it!" 


294  THE    MASTERY 

"  To-morrow." 

"  Now  !  If  you  are  the  free  man  you  assume 
to  be  and  not  James  Redfern's  tool,  you  will  do 
me  this  justice." 

"  Well,"  assented  Wilkins,  "  if  you  must  have 
it,  you  shall.  You  don't  deny  that  you  were  in 
Two  Rivers  Sunday  afternoon  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not.  Neither  do  I  deny  meeting 
you  as  I  came  out  of  the  Valley  Club  and  trying 
to  convince  you  that  you  ought  to  support  my 
uncle.  There  are  a  thousand  reasons  why  all 
decent  men  should,  and  I — " 

"  That's  it ! "  broke  in  Wilkins,  excitedly. 
"  You  put  your  hand  in  your  pocket  and  said,  'I 
can  offer  you  a  thousand  reasons  ! ' 

There  was  a  moment's  hush.  Then  burst  a 
tempest  of  laughter.  Wilkins's  face  pictured  a 
kaleidoscopic  series  of  emotions  whose  end  was 
sheepish,  rosy,  contrite  shame. 

"But  I  thought  —  I  misconstrued  — '  he 
stammered.  "  There  were  so  many  —  so  many 
rumors  of  such  things !  Sir,  I  have  greatly 
wronged  you.  I  will  make  reparation.  To 
morrow  —  to-morrow  I  —  " 

"  And  this  was  your  bribery,"  said  Dick,  con 
temptuously.  "  Your  thousand-dollar  bribe ! 
You  hayseed  !  You  unmitigated  hayseed  !  " 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

McQuADE  had  wormed  through  the  crush  to 
Harris's  side  in  time  for  Wilkins's  discomfiture. 

"  Get  up  t'  th'  rooms  with  you,"  he  enjoined, 
bottling  up  a  war-whoop.  "  I  misdoubt  there'll 
be  hell  t'  pay.  Where  in  ballyhack  have  you 
been?  "  he  demanded  as  they  gained  the  elevator. 

"  It's  nobody's  cursed  business,"  fumed  Dick, 
still  at  white  heat.  "  Can't  a  fellow  leave  town 
a  day  without  all  this  tummy-rummy  breaking 
loose  ?  " 

Drew  was  entering  his  own  room  as  they  met. 

"  I've  wired  everywhere  for  you,  boy,"  he  said. 

"  T'  hell  an'  gone,"  put  in  McQuade.  "  But 
everything's  O.K.,  Phil,"  he  added,  hastily  sketch 
ing  the  scene  below  stairs.  "  It  was  damned 
comical  t'  see  Wilkins  crawfish.  I  knew  th'  lad 
was  up  t'  snuff." 

"  I've  wired  everywhere,"  Drew  repeated,  as  the 
inner  door  closed  upon  himself  and  Dick  alone. 

"  Did  you  try  '  The  Beeches  '  ?  " 

"  '  The  Beeches  !  '  What  were  you  doing  at 
'  The  Beeches  '  ?  " 

295 


296  THE    MASTERY 

"  I  took  Harriet  there  early  this  morning.  I 
haven't  seemed  to  be  of  much  use  here,  and  as  no 
change  appeared  likely  I  stayed  till  night.  We 
cheered  Katherine  up  immensely." 

"  Cheered  her !" 

Preoccupied  with  his  own  grievance,  Harris 
missed  the  bitterness  of  Drew's  low  exclamation. 

"  I  didn't  suppose  the  whole  blamed  state  was 
interested  in  my  movements,"  he  went  on  dis 
gustedly.  "Bribe  old  Wilkins !  What  won't 
people  swallow  ?  A  word  from  you  ought  to 
have  nailed  the  lie." 

"  No  one  could  meet  the  charge  but  yourself." 

A  peculiar  something  in  his  manner  fixed 
Dick's  attention.  Drew  was  pale  and  his  face 
looked  drawn. 

"  By  heaven  !  "  Dick  cried ;  "  I  think  you  be 
lieved  it  too  !  " 

Drew  made  no  denial. 

"  You  defended  such  measures,  remember." 

"  In  a  moment  of  impatience —  " 

"  Your  words  were  downright,  unequivocal." 

"  Oh,  but  you,  Philip,  should  have  known, 
should  have  seen  — yet  who  could  see  daylight  in 
that  tangle ! " 

"  I  should  —  perhaps,"  Drew  admitted  dully. 
"  It  was  unjust  to  you." 


THE   MASTERY  297 

"Well,  everything  is  coming  out  in  the  wash," 
Dick  consoled.  "  That  duffer  Wilkins  will  do 
the  honorable  thing  before  the  committee  to 
morrow.  His  backdown  to-night  was  public 
enough  in  all  conscience.  Everybody  knows  the 
truth,  and  the  thing  won't  injure  us  in  caucus  a 
hair's  breadth.  In  fact  it  ought  to  help,  for  con 
servative  people  —  "  Drew's  strained  expression 
again  made  him  pause.  "  What  has  happened  ?  " 
he  demanded.  "  I  remember  now  McQuade 
hinted  something  —  something  about  trouble  ! 
What  has  happened,  Philip  ?  What  have  you 
done  ?  " 

Drew  took  a  bundle  of  papers  from  his  pocket 
and  laid  them  on  the  table. 

"  I've  used  them,"  he  announced.  "  Used 
them  as  a  club  —  met  scandal  with  scandal." 

"  You  used  the  Tuscarora  papers  after  all  ?  " 

"Not  as  you  meant — privately.  I  have 
shown  them  to  Redfern  alone." 

Dick  himself  turned  white. 

"  You  let  him  think  you  believed  me  guilty  ?  " 

"  No  ! " 

"  It  was  the  implication." 

"  No,  Dick,  a  thousand  times  no.  It  was  not 
to  kill  the  charge  against  you  that  I  acted.  I 
bade  him  probe  it  to  the  bottom." 


298  THE    MASTERY 

"  Then  what  —  " 

"  All  the  afternoon  he  has  been  undermining 
me  —  " 

"  If  I  had  only  come  !  " 

"  Never  mind  that,  boy.  They  made  inroads, 
I  say.  I  dared  not  risk  to-night's  ballot  with 
things  as  they  were.  I  used  your  weapon  to 
force  Redfern  from  the  field." 

"He's  out!     Redfern's  out?" 

"We're  both  out." 

"You,   Philip?" 

"  I  could  not  oust  him  and   myself   remain." 

"  I've  ruined  you  !  "  Dick  groaned. 

"  Nonsense.  The  main  thing  isn't  my  election. 
It's  his  defeat,  which  is  now  assured.  We've 
agreed  that  the  status  quo  shall  remain  unchanged 
to-night.  To-morrow  we'll  break  the  deadlock." 

"  But  what  are  you  to  say  to  people  ?  " 

"  We  are  ostensibly  withdrawing  in  the  interest 
of  party  harmony." 

"  Harmony,"  Dick  repeated,  struggling  to  grasp 
the  extent  of  the  devastation;  "it  will  be  hades." 

Yet  there  was  the  surface  appearance  of  con 
cord.  The  collapse  of  the  bribery  charge  in  a 
gale  of  laughter  seemed  to  sweeten  the  air. 
Redfern  pulled  a  civil  if  not  radiant  face  over  his 
withdrawal,  and  party  organs  called  the  scenes  in 


THE    MASTERY  299 

caucus  at  Lawrence's  election  a  love  feast.  But 
Redfern  posturing  before  the  limelight,  and  Red- 
fern  among  his  friends,  were  widely  dissimilar 
men.  His  explanations  in  either  case  hardly 
explained,  but  his  vengeful  rumblings  and  veiled 
threats  imbued  many  with  the  impression  that  he 
had  been  foully  used.  Drew  believed  that  the 
man  told  Maddox  something  like  the  truth  for 
their  intimacy  seemed  unshaken,  while  a  caustic 
thrust  at  his  own  impaired  prestige  gained  exten 
sive  publicity.  "A  state  leader,"  defined  Mad 
dox,  "  is  a  man  who  is  master  of  the  situation." 

The  gibe  seemed  to  sting  Dick  more  than 
Drew,  and  his  remorseful  self-upbraiding  finally 
caused  his  uncle  to  interpose. 

"  I  can't  let  you  go  away  like  this,"  he  expos 
tulated,  as  the  young  man  was  about  to  leave  for 
home.  "  You  mustn't  think  I  really  wanted  that 
office.  I  never  sought  the  senatorship  for  its 
own  sake." 

« I  felt  that." 

"  And  Lawrence  is  all  right.  His  caucus  alli 
ance  with  Maddox  was  perfectly  legitimate.  I 
don't  censure  him.  It  is  no  hardship  to  see  the 
place  go  to  a  man  of  his  stamp." 

"  No  hardship  that  you  didn't  land  what  you 
set  out  to  get  in  the  face  of  all  the  state  !  " 


3oo  THE   MASTERY 

"  I  set  out  to  block  the  Maddox-Redfern 
game  —  and  I  did." 

"  But  at  what  a  cost.  Think  what  they're 
saying." 

"  You  magnify  this  gossip." 

"  You  make  light  of  it  to  comfort  me." 

Drew  threw  his   arm    across    Dick's  shoulder. 

"  Would  it  contribute  to  your  peace  of  mind 
to  know  that  the  new  senator  and  I  understand 
one  another  ? " 

Harris  brightened  in  a  way  that  was  sufficient 
answer. 

"  You  mean  that  he  knows  the  real  cause  of 
his  good  luck  —  that  he  feels  indebted  ?  " 

"  Precisely.  I  mean  also  that,  though  he  and 
I  don't  think  alike  in  some  things,  he  and 
Maddox  agree  in  nothing.  In  time  of  need, 
between  you  and  me,  he'll  be  found  where  we 
want  him." 

"  There  !  "  cried  Dick.  "  I  might  have  known 
you'd  give  the  merry  ha-ha  to  the  croakers  who're 
trying  to  prove  you  politically  dead.  Thank  you 
for  telling  me  that,  old  man.  It  isn't  such  a  smash 
as  I  thought." 

But  Drew  himself  took  no  comfort.  He  could 
mend  his  political  fences  perhaps,  but  he  could 
not  restore  his  self-respect.  For  the  first  time 


THE    MASTERY  301 

in  his  mature  life  he  had  been  vainglorious.  He 
had  boasted  like  a  Gascon,  bragged  before  the 
woman  he  loved  ;  and  he  had  failed  to  make  good 
his  vaunt.  He  who  was  to  crush  Redfern  for  her 
sake  had  himself  narrowly  escaped  annihilation. 
The  senatorship  for  which  they  had  battled  was 
another's.  He  spared  himself  nothing  before  the 
harsh  tribunal  of  his  man's  pride,  asked  no 
mercy,  obtained  none.  By  the  same  token  he 
could  not  bring  himself  to  beg  of  Katherine 

o  o 

what  he  refused  himself.  Her  leniency — her 
love  —  if  it  came,  must  come  unasked. 

A  meeting  was  imminent.  Despite  the  dead 
lock,  Drew  had  found  time  for  an  inventory  of 
Wentworth's  affairs  of  a  sort  for  which  his  fellow- 
executor  frankly  owned  himself  disqualified.  The 
upshot  was  startling.  By  a  not  unfamiliar  para 
dox  the  statesman,  whose  wise  fiscal  policy  had 
netted  millions  for  the  nation,  had  mishandled 
his  private  resources  like  a  child.  The  exposi 
tion  which  Drew  laid  before  the  admiral  was  as 
limpid  as  a  mountain  brook.  Wildcat  mining- 
stock,  patent  rights  in  useless  inventions,  mort 
gages  upon  Dakota  "bad  lands"  —  the  whole 
sorry  coil  unwound  itself  to  Austin's  lay  compre 
hension,  and  left  him  aghast. 

"  What  a  thing  to  tell  his  child ! "  he  groaned. 


302  THE    MASTERY 

"Why  tell  Katherine?  Why  not  keep  her 
ideal  of  her  father  as  it  is  ?  " 

"  Not  tell  her !  You  can't  avoid  it.  She  has 
a  head  for  business,  Philip,  a  better  one  than 
mine." 

"  Not  at  present.  She  asks  no  questions  now. 
Later,  when  questions  come,  we'll  have  a  better 
showing." 

Austin  shook  his  head 

"  She  knew  what  it  cost  her  father  to  live,"  he 
answered.  "  She  will  count  upon  a  like  amount 
and  plan  to  spend  an  income  that's  cut  in  two. 
No  ;  you  can't  cover  it  up." 

"  We  can  make  it  up,"  asserted  Drew.  "  Ad 
miral,  leave  this  to  me.  I  am  fortunately  placed 
for  an  executor.  I  see  opportunities  every  day 
to  make  dollars  earn  dollars,  and  —  " 

"Dollars,  yes,"  Austin  cut  him  off.  "I'm  no 
great  shakes  as  a  business  man,  but  I  don't  believe 
I'm  quite  what  the  country  people  call  a  gump. 
You  can't  make  salted  mines  and  alkali  deserts 
yield  anything  but  trouble.  The  dollars  you 
talk  about  turning  over  to  Katherine  are  your 
own." 

Drew  reddened. 

"  Nonsense,"  he  laughed. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.     It's  not  nonsense.     It's  a 


THE    MASTERY  303 

very  chivalrous  intention,  but  you  mustn't  carry  it 
out,  Philip.  If  you  were  already  Katherine's  hus 
band,  it  would  be  another  affair,  but  you're  not 
married  yet." 

Drew  could  not  ask  him  to  hold  his  peace 
until  marriage  should  put  another  face  upon  the 
matter.  His  wedding-day  might  never  dawn. 
All  other  persuasions  left  Austin  unmoved. 

"  One  or  the  other  of  us  must  tell  her,"  he 
said  firmly. 

"  You  tell  her,  admiral,"  Drew  begged  quickly. 
"  You  are  her  kin." 

It  was  upon  Austin's  tongue  to  reply  that 
Drew  was  her  lover,  but  he  saved  that  puzzled 
observation  for  the  ear  of  his  wife  whom  he 
immediately  rejoined  at  the  quiet  uptown  hotel  in 
New  York  to  which  they  had  persuaded  Kath- 
erine.  He  would  have  liked  very  much  to  speak 
of  the  generous  plan  he  had  felt  obliged  to 
veto,  but  Drew  had  exacted  a  promise  that  he 
would  say  nothing  about  it.  In  the  morning  he 
reappeared  in  Madison  Square  bringing  the  girl's 
request  for  an  interview. 

"  She  wants  to  know  precisely  where  she 
stands,"  he  announced.  "  I  could  give  her  a 
general  notion,  but  of  course  nobody  knows  the 
minutiae  like  yourself." 


304  THE    MASTERY 

"  I  will  come  with  you  whenever  you  like." 

"Then  come  now.  The  sooner  we  get  through 
it  the  better." 

"  Yes  ;  the  sooner  the  better,"  Drew  assented, 
but  he  was  not  thinking  of  the  senator's  bungled 
money  matters.  Would  Katherine  extend  a  hand 
across  the  abyss  ? 

He  could  judge  nothing  from  her  greeting, 
and  he  plunged  at  once  into  his  inventory 
of  the  estate.  It  was  far  from  a  cold-blooded 
analysis  of  assets  and  liabilities.  Drew  made 
no  concealment  of  losses,  but  Wentworth's 
glaring  indiscretions  were  made  to  stand  in  a 
kindly,  even  lovable  light.  The  admiral  was 
aglow  with  admiration  and  tipped  his  wife  a 
covert  wink. 

The  girl  sat  through  it  all  in  a  sort  of  stupor. 
The  business  head  upon  which  she  had  once 
prided  herself  was  in  present  subjection  to  a  most 
unbusinesslike  heart.  From  the  dismal  chaos 
of  her  thoughts  she  could  drag  but  one  fixed 

O  O 

purpose. 

"  I  must  keep  *  The  Beeches,'  "  she  declared, 
as  Drew  paused.  "  Whatever  else  goes,  I  must 
keep  '  The  Beeches.' ' 

"  That  is  the  wise  course,"  he  answered. 
<c  The  land  seems  always  to  have  paid.  With 


THE    MASTERY  305 

vineyards,  such  as  I  believe  your  father  planned, 
it  would  pay  still  better.  Moreover,  a  way  has 
opened  to  lift  the  mortgage." 

Austin   pricked  his  ears. 

"  How's  that?" 

Drew's  eyes  were  upon  his  documents. 

"  I  mean  through  these  suburban  lots  near 
Washington,"  he  replied,  laying  a  finger  upon  a 
clause  of  the  inventory.  "  After  being  a  dead 
weight  for  years,  they're  at  last  looking  up. 
We've  had  an  offer  for  them  which  would  more 
than  clear  '  The  Beeches.' ' 

"  Isn't  this  something  new?"  Austin  persisted. 

"  Yes." 

"  Since  yesterday  ?  " 

"  Since  yesterday,"  Drew  returned  with  the 
same  verbal  thrift.  "  By  the  time  I  come  down 
from  Albany  again,  it  will  be  in  shape  to  discuss 
in  detail." 

"  You  two  will  do  what  you  think  best," 
Katherine  said. 

The  soft-hearted  admiral  saw  her  lip  quiver, 
coughed  strenuously,  and  found  some  errand  to 
take  him  out  of  the  room.  His  wife  followed. 
Drew  and  Katherine  were  alone  in  a  silence 
broken  only  by  the  clatter  of  hoofs  and  wheels 
in  the  avenue  without. 


306  THE    MASTERY 

"  If  she  loves  me,  she  will  give  some  sign," 
thought  the  man. 

The  woman  said  to  herself:  "  If  he  loves 
me,  he  will  speak  now.  He  will  tell  me  that 
the  money  is  as  nothing  —  that  rich  or  poor, 
he  loves  me." 

And  neither  spoke. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

MRS.  AUSTIN  found  the  girl,  face  down,  upon 
a  divan  and  knelt  beside  her. 

"  Katherine,"  she  said  cheerily,  "you're  not 
such  a  pauper,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  Aunt  Sue,"  came  the  muffled  answer. 

"  And  your  father's  fame  won't  suffer.  John  was 
not  the  first  great  financier  to  muddle  his  private 
affairs.  I've  heard  something  similar  about  Ham 
ilton,  and  the  admiral  was  just  mentioning  some 
Englishman  —  Cobden,  I  think." 

"  It  isn't  father." 

Mrs.  Austin  smoothed  the  dark  head  for  a 
thoughtful  moment. 

"  Dearie,  is  it  Philip  ?  " 

No  answer  from  the  pillows  save  a  long  intake 
of  breath. 

"  I  was  afraid  so,"  the  elder  woman  commented. 
«  Can  I  help  ?  " 

«  No-o." 

"  I'm  all  the  mother  you  have,  dear.  And 
you're  all  I  have  to  mother.  My  girl  would 

307 


308  THE    MASTERY 

have  been  old  enough  for  heartaches  too  had  she 
lived." 

Katherine's  hand  crept  into  her  aunt's  for  an 
instant.  Then  Mrs.  Austin  saw  her  begin  slowly 
to  work  a  ring — Drew's  ring  —  from  her  finger. 
With  a  cry  of  protest  she  stayed  the  girl's  action 
and  gathered  her  into  her  arms. 

It  was  the  girl's  point  of  view  which  she  saw  in 
the  broken  talk  which  ensued.  She  was  loath  to 
impute  a  sordid  motive  to  Drew,  but  the  real 
reason  of  his  silence  was  hidden,  and  her  woman's 
championship  followed  the  leading  of  her  woman's 
heart.  Nevertheless  she  counselled  patience. 
Drew  would  be  coming  back  shortly.  The  mist 
of  misunderstanding  would  disappear. 

But  Drew  kept  closely  to  Albany  during  the 
remaining  Lenten  days,  and  delegated  the  formali 
ties  of  the  land  transfer  to  Austin.  He  did  not 
need  to  invent  work  to  kill  care.  The  combined 
watch  upon  Maddox,  the  Legislature,  and  his 
personal  business  regulated  that ;  while  as  Easter 
drew  on,  Dick's  wedding  preparations  contributed 
lighter  interludes.  Indeed,  toward  the  end,  the 
interludes  threatened  to  exclude  all  else. 

"A  best  man  must  count  on  doing  something 
besides  fee  the  clergyman  and  juggle  the  ring," 
Dick  instructed  gravely.  "  Of  course  I  don't 


THE    MASTERY  309 

expect  the  chairman  of  the  state  committee  to 
ransack  fashion  magazines  and  learn  whether  a 
fellow  should  keep  his  frock-coat  open  or  shut, 
or  if  the  ushers'  gloves  need  one  button  or  a  dozen. 
You'd  think  the  ceremony  wasn't  binding  without 
such  flummeries,  to  hear  some  idiots  talk.  What 
I  do  want,  though,  is  gumption,  tact,  a  clear  head, 
nerve  for  an  emergency  —  " 

"  In  fine,"  Drew  suggested,  "  the  ideal  second 
for  a  duel." 

"  Oh,  laugh,"  invited  his  nephew,  savagely. 
"  How  should  you  like  to  have  your  clergyman 
get  the  sexton's  fee,  as  I  knew  to  happen  ?  I  tell 
you  everything  depends  upon  the  best  man." 

"  I'm  told  there  are  professionals  nowadays. 
Perhaps  you'd  better  look  the  matter  up." 

"  I'd  as  soon  employ  a  hired  mourner  !  It's 
moral  support  I  need,  —  sympathy,  intelligent 
sympathy." 

In  the  end  Drew  gave  all  he  asked.  He  saw 
him  safely  through  a  hilarious  bachelor  dinner 
Saturday  evening,  and  the  yet  more  nerve-wear 
ing  suspense  of  Easter.  He  tactfully  rilled  in  the 
difficult  hours  between  Monday's  perfunctory 
breakfast  and  the  journey  to  the  church,  and  ulti 
mately  brought  his  principal  into  the  vestry  in 
what  he  assured  him  was  the  pink  of  form. 


310  THE    MASTERY 

"  Cool !  "  Harris  averred.  "  I  feel  as  cool  as 
a  polar  expedition." 

He  surreptitiously  tapped  wood,  however,  to 
charm  away  possible  bad  results  from  the  boast, 
and  fell  with  feverish  zest  to  scrutinizing  the 
ecclesiastical  portraits  which  adorned  the  panelling 
of  the  quiet  room. 

"Fine-looking  lot  of  men,  aren't  they?"  he 
remarked,  fidgeting  with  his  gloves.  "  I  don't 
know  when  I've  seen  a  finer  lot.  That  bishop 
over  the  mantelpiece  has  a  particularly  fine  face. 
Fine  one  on  his  right,  too.  Fine  one  on  his 
left.  Fine  —  say:  do  you  think  I  could  smoke 
a  cigarette  ? " 

"  Hardly.      Good  carving  in  that  table,  Dick." 

"  Fine  !  Say,  a  smoke  would  do  me  no  end 
of  good." 

"  It's  out  of  the  question  here.  Don't  you 
think  Harriet  looked  uncommonly  pretty  last 
night  when  we  called  ?  " 

"  Fine  !  I  could  put  my  head  out  of  the  door, 
you  know." 

"  Out  of  the  door  ?  " 

"  To  smoke,  you  know.  It  always  quiets  me. 
It  —  " 

"  Ss-h  !      Here  comes  the  rector." 

Dick  shook  hands  limply  with  the  matter-of- 


THE    MASTERY  311 

fact  person  who  was  to  conduct  this  tremendous 
morning's  business,  and  uttered  a  staccato  laugh 
at  what  he  took  to  be  a  clerical  pleasantry.  Re 
flecting  that  Drew  might  wish  to  embrace  this 
chance  to  hand  the  clergyman  his  fee,  he  turned 
again  to  the  portraits  and  with  glazed  vision 
passed  a  row  of  them  in  review,  which  led  him 
finally  out  into  the  anteroom  communicating  with 
the  body  of  the  church.  Here  Drew  found  him 
with  his  eye  glued  to  the  aperture  of  a  door  left 
just  ajar. 

"  There  are  hundreds  of  'em  out  there,"  he 
whispered  hoarsely.  "  Hundreds  and  hundreds. 
I  didn't  know  Harriet  had  so  many  friends. 
Queer  how  people  flock  to  weddings.  Morbid 
curiosity,  I  call  it.  I'll  never  go  to  another  as 
long  as  I  live." 

Drew  shut  out  the  enervating  spectacle. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "that  fee  is  off  our  hands. 
His  reverence  had  a  surplice  half  over  his  head 
when  I  broached  the  matter,  but  he  didn't  seem 
to  think  me  inopportune." 

"  Got  the  ring  safe  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Let  me  see  it." 

Drew  complied. 

"  Mind  you  don't  put  it  in  the  wrong  pocket." 


312  THE   MASTERY 

"  No." 

"  Don't  wait  till  the  very  last  minute  to  fish  it 
out  either." 

"  No." 

"  And  don't  let  go  of  it  till  you  see  that  I've 
got  a  firm  hold.  A  duffer  I  know  dropped  it." 

"I'll  try  not." 

"Hark!"  Dick  started  like  a  blooded  steed. 
"  Oh,  the  organ." 

"  It's  been  playing  for  five  or  ten  minutes." 

"  Has  it  ?  Of  course.  I  think  I  must  be  a 
trifle  nervous." 

"  Ridiculous." 

"  Oh,  nothing  to  speak  of — just  the  natural 
exhilaration.  Means  a  deuce  of  a  lot  to  a  man, 
you  know.  Means  — "  He  halted  to  bend  a 
critical  eye  upon  his  legs.  "  Good  enough  !  "  he 
ejaculated.  "  They're  at  it,  but  nobody'll  see  'em 
now." 

"  See  what  ?  " 

"  My  knees  shake.  They  always  used  to  do  it 
when  I  was  a  kid  and  felt  rattled.  Thought  I'd 
outgrown  it.  But  no  matter  !  Wide  trousers 
save  the  day.  Fashion  good  thing  sometimes." 

"  The  wedding  party  has  reached  the  church, 
sir,"  a  sexton's  assistant  announced. 

Dick  straightened  at  the  summons,  forgot  his 


THE    MASTERY  313 

knees  altogether,  and  went  forth  to  his  bride  like 
a  soldier.  His  "  I  will "  was  delivered  with  a 
trumpet  note,  and  in  fact  his  whole  bearing,  the 
Rubicon  of  the  vestry  crossed,  was  such  as  to 
subject  him  later  to  much  admiring  remark. 

"  It's  nothing,  my  dear  boy,  nothing,"  he 
assured  a  prospective  bridegroom  in  the  little 
company  which  flocked  into  the  vestry  to  witness 
the  signing  of  the  register.  "  All  you  need  is 
gumption,  tact,  a  clear  head  —  "  then,  perceiving 
his  uncle  close  at  hand,  he  ended  hastily —  "on 
the  part  of  your  best  man." 

He  might  have  claimed  anything  he  pleased. 
Drew  had  neither  eyes  nor  ears  for  him. 
Katherine  was  standing  within  reach  of  his  hand, 
her  dark  garments  in  sombre  contrast  to  the 
draperies  of  the  bride  whose  arms  were  about  her. 
He  caught  the  good  wishes  of  the  one,  and 
something  of  the  other's  whispered  regret  that  a 
substitute  should  have  taken  Katherine's  place  at 
the  chancel. 

"When  you  marry  Philip,"  Harriet's  voice  now 
rose  distinctly,  "  nothing  shall  prevent  my  being 
your  maid  of  honor." 

It  was  then  that  Katherine's  eyes  met  Drew's, 
and  she  saw  that  he  had  overheard.  Each  knew 
the  moment  for  a  crisis  ;  each  searched  the  other's 


THE    MASTERY 

face  for  a   message ;  each  missed   the   tenderness 
which  pride  masked,  belied,  and  betrayed. 

"  Maid  of  nothing,  Harriet,"  the  young  hus 
band  cut  in  upon  them  with  a  laugh.  "  You're 
a  matron  now." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

FROM  the  foggy  morning  following  Easter 
Monday  when  the  chairman  of  the  dominant 
party's  state  committee  found  a  ring  in  his  mail, 
Admiral  Austin  became  the  sole  channel  of  com 
munication  between  his  niece  and  his  fellow- 
executor.  For  months  Drew  paid  New  York 
only  flying  visits,  and  it  was  by  the  roundabout 
way  of  Dick  that  he  heard  that  Katherine  was 
trying  to  fill  Harriet's  vacant  niche  at  the  Settle 
ment  House. 

The  married  are  prone  to  exaggerate  the  for- 
lornness  of  the  bachelor,  and  Dick's  and  Harriet's 
happiness  took  a  finer  savor  for  the  sentimental 
pity  which  they  indulged  for  Drew.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  Drew's  existence,  though  drab-colored, 
was  not  embittered.  Indeed,  at  this  time  he 
reaped  certain  infinitely  satisfying  hours.  For 
one  thing  he  got  keen  pleasure  from  building 
Dick  and  Harriet  a  house,  a  wedding-gift  which 
he  made  doubly  dear  by  leaving  its  planning 
wholly  in  their  hands.  He  saw  now,  further- 
sis 


316  THE    MASTERY 

more,  the  realization  of  his  project  for  transform 
ing  his  boyhood  playground  to  a  public  park 
after  the  design  he  had  outlined  to  Spedding. 
By  midsummer  it  was  at  length  complete,  and 
by  a  stroke  of  the  pen  passed  into  the  city's 
hands.  The  public  was  not  backward  in  signs 
of  appreciation.  An  enthusiastic  city  council  — 
inspired,  it  developed,  by  McQuade  —  even  pro 
posed  to  signalize  the  event  by  voting  the  donor 
a  statue  which  Drew  was  put  to  no  small  exer 
tion  to  escape. 

"  You'll  be  knowin'  your  own  mind  best," 
McQuade  remarked  sorrowfully,  when  he  saw 
that  Drew's  refusal  was  absolute,  "  but  it's  a  sure 
disappointment  t'  yours  truly.  Us  boys  had  it 
all  fixed  as  how,  barrin'  Frenchies,  dagoes,  an' 
such  foreign  labor,  we'd  let  th'  job  t'  th'  best 
statute  foundery  doin'  business.  'Twould  have 
been  a  nobby  thing  all  right." 

"  I  can  well  believe  it." 

"  It  sure  would.  Th'  new  alderman  fr'm  th' 
gashouse  district  was  in  favor  of  sculpin'  you  in 
th'  classical  style,  meanin'  without  clothes,  but 
I  says,  c  Nit ;  Phil  Drew's  that  modest  he'd 
blush  turkey-red  every  time  he  drove  by  an 
indelicate  figger  of  himself  wearin'  nothing  but  a 
sheet.  A  Prince  Albert  is  th'  tasty  thing  these 


THE    MASTERY  317 

days,  lads,'  I  says.     'All  th'  up-to-date  statutes 

>       >  » 
wear   em. 

"  It  does  seem  to  be  the  vogue,"  Drew  smiled. 
Then,  changing  topic  and  tone,  "  Larry,"  he 
asked,  "  is  it  true  that  Magistrate  O'Neil's  son 
has  gone  to  New  York  to  take  a  clerkship  in  the 
dock  department  ?  " 

McQuade  dropped  a  reluctant  nod. 

"  But  th'  judge  never  did  lean  our  way,  any 
how,"  he  qualified.  "  F'r  all  his  palaver,  he  was 
always  James  Y.'s  man  at  th'  finish." 

Drew  silently  wished  he  might  say  as  much  for 
any  of  a  fast-growing  company  of  influential  men 
in  up-state  counties  who  were  in  direct  or  indirect 
receipt  of  Maddox's  benefits.  He  knew  this  for 
part  and  parcel  of  a  far-reaching  attempt  to  curry 
favor  with  the  party  at  large  through  susceptible 
county  chairmen.  It  was  done  on  tiptoe,  for 
with  his  mouth  Maddox  professed  himself  for 
peace ;  and  with  equal  discretion  Drew  lit  back 
fires  when  and  where  he  could.  Maddox  was  at 
present  in  no  position  to  stake  open  battle  for  the 
leadership,  being  locally  engaged  in  one  of  his 
periodic  struggles  with  reform.  He  had  not  to 
cope  with  fusion  ;  the  several  elements  of  opposi 
tion  were  not  sufficiently  united  for  that;  but 
three  leading  mayoralty  tickets  in  the  field 


3i8  THE    MASTERY 

enlivened  the  campaign,  and  for  the  hour  he 
was  quite  content  to  put  loftier  ambitions  aside. 

State  campaign  there  was  practically  none. 
The  single  important  office  to  be  filled  was 
judicial  in  character,  and  in  this  instance  non- 
partisanship  happily  prevailed.  The  up-state 
voters  were  mainly  concerned  with  mayoralty 
elections  and  the  annual  choice  of  assemblymen, 
and  but  for  a  marked  off-year  reaction  against 
the  national  administration  Drew's  work  would 
have  been  light.  The  new  President's  person 
ality  was  not  altogether  engaging,  many  of  his 
appointments  had  proved  unpopular,  his  fiscal 
schemes  were  regarded  with  distrust,  and  finally 
a  spectacular  series  of  failures  in  Wall  Street 
excited  the  business  world.  From  late  in  August 
till  the  end,  Drew  toiled  under  a  weight  of  mis 
giving  which  was  amply  justified  by  the  returns. 
City  after  city  went  over  to  the  enemy,  and  the 
Assembly  was  safe  only  by  a  margin  which  wore 
the  aspect  of  defeat. 

In  shining  contrast  to  the  rout  up  state,  Maddox 
scored  an  emphatic  local  victory,  and  by  the  same 
token  Drew  knew  the  great  conflict  to  be  near  at 
hand.  So  others  thought.  The  flutterings  among 
the  country  chairmen,  lest  they  be  put  to  an  open 
choice  of  masters,  became  frantic  ;  the  governor 


THE    MASTERY  319 

brought  on  insomnia  by  premature  crossing  of 
his  personal  bridge  ;  while  early  in  December  the 
President  himself  took  alarm  and  summoned  Drew 
to  a  Sunday  conference  at  the  White  House.  An 
intimation  that  it  would  conduce  to  the  presidential 
comfort  were  he  to  shroud  his  journey  in  secrecy 
constrained  him  against  his  liking  to  leave  New 
York  like  a  thief  in  the  night  and  to  breakfast 
in  Washington  in  obscurity.  Under  escort  of  a 
painfully  discreet  secretary  he  was  finally  ushered 
to  a  retired  quarter  of  the  Executive  Mansion  at 
an  hour  when  the  presidential  household  had  in 
most  part  taken  itself  off  to  morning  service. 

The  head  of  the  nation  had  excused  himself 
from  church-going  to  his  strait-laced  wife  under 
plea  of  a  fictitious  headache,  and  whether  op 
pressed  by  a  conviction  of  sin,  or  because  he 
wished  to  forestall  adverse  criticism  of  his  excessive 
caution,  he  prefaced  the  conference  with  a  charac 
teristic  little  homily  of  regret  that  all  human 
dealings  could  not  be  conducted  under  the  broad 
light  of  heaven  and  in  sweet  accord  with  the 
Golden  Rule.  He  was  a  man  of  colorless  amia 
bility  whose  hobby  was  pacification.  He  had 
pacified  himself  into  the  White  House. 

"In  this  unhappy  difference  which  has  arisen 
among  my  New  York  friends,"  he  said  finally, 


32o  THE    MASTERY 

quitting  generalities,  "  I  need  hardly  assure  you, 
my  dear  Mr.  Drew,  where  my  sympathies,  indeed 
I  may  say  my  instinctive  sympathies,  lie." 

Drew  bowed  with  the  outward  respect  due 
such  an  exalted  well-wisher.  It  was  his  private 
conviction  that  the  friendly  soul  would  have  let 
Maddox  infer  himself  the  richer  for  very  much 
the  same  benign  approval. 

"Nevertheless,"  —  this  was  a  favorite  word 
with  the  "  Great  Peacemaker,"  —  "  nevertheless 
you  will  readily  understand  that  in  my  position 
I  cannot  always  exercise  the  private  citizen's  pre 
rogative  of  speaking  one's  mind." 

"  I  understand,  Mr.  President,"  Drew  filled  in 
an  oratorical  pause. 

"  And  if  I  should  pursue  in  this  instance  what 
may  seem  a  rigorously  neutral  course,  you  will 
appreciate  that  it  is  the  official,  rather  than  the 
citizen,  who  so  acts  ?  " 

Drew  smiled  at  these  elaborate  devices. 

"  I  am  forewarned,"  he  said. 

The  President  saw  the  smile,  but  construed  it 
as  a  favoring  sign. 

"The  personal  equation  eliminated,  then,"  he 
continued  briskly,  "  here  is  the  situation  in  a  nut 
shell.  The  administration  sees  bitter  dissension 
in  a  quarter  where  it  has  counted  upon  unity  and 


THE    MASTERY  321 

hearty  support.  New  York  is  too  uncertain  a 
state  for  divided  counsels.  Its  two  senators  even 
now  owe  allegiance  to  different  parties.  This 
should  not  be  so.  The  success  of  this  adminis 
tration,  the  good  of  the  party,  I  may  safely  say 
the  prosperity  of  the  country,  depend  upon  the 
reinforcement  of  our  slender  majority  in  the 
Senate.  We  must  not  let  factional  strife  imperil 
this  work.  Your  new  Assembly  —  " 

"  Factional  differences  had  nothing  to  do  with 
reducing  our  majority  in  the  Assembly,"  Drew 
interposed.  "  The  causes  were  not  local.  Look 
at  Ohio,  at  Illinois  —  " 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  pursued  the  great  man, 
blandly.  "  The  off-year  reaction  is  to  be  taken 
into  account,  but  nevertheless  you  gentlemen  of 
New  York  incur  a  heavy  responsibility  in  permit 
ting  this  internecine  war  to  spread.  Would  you 
jeopard  the  election  a  year  hence  of  a  fitting 
colleague  to  Senator  Lawrence  ?  May  I  not 
hope,  more  amicable  counsels  prevailing,  that 
that  colleague  will  be  yourself?  A  timely  sug 
gestion  from  me,  I  am  optimistic  enough  to 
believe  —  " 

"  Does  that  strike  you  as  a  peace  measure,  Mr. 
President  ?"  Drew  queried  incisively.  He  had 
looked  from  the  beginning  for  some  such  appeal 
v 


322  THE    MASTERY 

to  his  ambition.  "  The  senatorship  has  no  at 
tractions  for  me." 

"  No  ?  "  sighed  his  Excellency. 

"  Neither  do  I  want  war." 

"  I  felt  sure  of  your  reasonableness." 

"  It  is  not  I  who  am  the  aggressor.  But  I 
need  not  tell  you  that.  You  are  a  western  man, 
Mr.  President,  but  you  know  New  York  well 
enough  to  realize  that  the  party  up  state  is  battling 
against  a  blight  which  has  sunk  the  metropolitan 
organization  beneath  the  contempt  of  decent  men. 
It  is  Maddoxism  we're  fighting,  sir,  Maddoxism 
in  all  its  —  " 

The  presidential  hand  was  uplifted  to  still  the 
troubled  waters  ;  the  presidential  voice  suavely 
inquired  :  — 

"  But,  my  dear  Mr.  Drew,  didn't  we  agree  to 
eliminate  the  personal  phase  ?  " 

This  Olympian  aloofness  baffled  Drew.  The 
President  took  his  disgusted  silence  for  assent. 

"  Remember,"  he  pursued,  "it  is  as  individuals, 
not  as  leaders  of  moral  or  possibly  immoral  forces, 
that  you  and  Mr.  Maddox  present  yourselves 
to  the  administration.  You  come  in  your  quasi- 
representative  capacity  rather,  and  as  such  I  sub 
mit  that  it  is  your  present  duty  to  lay  aside  purely 
local  disputes  for  the  good  of  the  common  cause," 


THE    MASTERY  323 

A  wide  choice  of  caustic  retort  lay  open  to 
Drew,  but  respect  for  the  man's  office  and  his 
perception  of  the  tithe  of  truth  which  leavened 
the  presidential  sophistry  bridled  his  tongue. 

"  I  grant  that  this  is  no  time  for  quarrelling 
among  ourselves,"  he  rejoined  quietly.  "  Per 
sonally  I  am  willing  to  call  a  truce." 

"  We  need  a  stronger  pact  than  that." 

"An  armed  neutrality  then  ?  " 

The  President  freed  his  most  pacificatory  smile. 

"  Mr.  Drew,"  he  cajoled,  "  it  seems  to  me  high 
time  to  employ  what  our  dear  old  friend  Spedding 
used  to  call  the  'cement  of  majorities.' ' 

"  I  will  make  reasonable  concessions." 

"  Very  good.  The  thing  I  shall  suggest  seems 
to  me  to  strike  at  the  tap-root  of  the  trouble.  I 
allude  to  my  accomplished  friend  Mr.  Redfern." 

"  Redfern  is  less  a  cause  than  a  symptom  of 
disease." 

The  Great  Peacemaker  frowned  slightly  at  this 
tart  thrust  at  his  major  premise. 

"  An  important  symptom,  at  any  rate,"  he  urged. 
"  I  have  reason  to  know  that  a  timely  concession 
in  that  direction  would  do  incalculable  good.  But 
for  your  emphatic  remark  about  the  senatorship  I 
should  suggest  that  you  make  the  contest  for  the 
seat  next  vacant,  Mr.  Redfern  to  leave  you  a  free 


324  THE    MASTERY 

field  on  condition  that  you  back  him  for  the 
governorship.  With  certain  assurances  on  your 
part,  I  know  Mr.  Maddox  would  —  " 

"  Impossible  !  "  Drew  exclaimed.  "  You  can't 
know  James  Redfern's  true  character,  Mr.  Presi 
dent, —  his  unfitness  for  such  a  position  of  public 
trust !  It  is  an  impossible  compromise." 

"  Which  I  do  not  press,"  disclaimed  the  Peace 
maker.  "  There  is  a  fortunate  alternative,  not 
state,  but  national.  The  Third  Assistant  Post 
master-General  is  being  strongly  urged  for  the 
post  just  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  our  minister 
at  Constantinople.  In  the  event  of  such  a  trans 
fer —  and,  confidentially,  it  may  soon  occur  —  a 
vacancy  will  result  that  some  leading  New  Yorker 
ought  to  fill.  It  would  seem  to  me  a  happy 
solution  to  offer  the  place  to  Mr.  Redfern  upon 
whose  personal  fitness  I  will  assume  the  responsi 
bility  to  pass." 

Charity  could  no  farther  go.  Drew  maintained 
a  grim  silence. 

"  Well,  my  dear  Mr.  Drew  ?  "  came  finally. 

"  What  is  there  left  me  to  say,  sir  ?  It  doesn't 
become  me  to  meddle  with  your  appointments. 
Senatorial  courtesy  —  " 

"  Senator  Lawrence  refers  me  to  you.  I  ask 
your  opinion," 


THE    MASTERY  325 

"  Then,  as  I  questioned  in  my  own  case,  is  it  a 
peace  measure  ?  I  cannot  believe  it." 

"  But  you  personally  would  not  deem  it  a  hos 
tile  act  ?  " 

"  I  shall  not  squabble  with  the  administration 
over  patronage." 

The  President  said  that  he  would  think  it  over, 
but  Drew  left  him  with  the  conviction  that  he 
would  do  what  he  was  pleased  to  call  his  thinking 
with  his  mind  made  up.  He  felt  that  it  was  not 
so  much  a  nostrum  for  harmony  that  the  Great 
Peacemaker  sought  as  the  sure  knowledge  whether 
the  Drew  faction  or  the  Maddox  faction  mustered 
the  stronger  battalions. 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

THE  die  was  soon  cast.  Before  the  first  week 
of  January  had  ended,  Drew  was  besieged  for  his 
interpretation  of  Redfern's  appointment.  The 
press  proclaimed  that  the  administration's  med 
dling  meant  war  to  the  knife.  Drew  declined  the 
role  of  public  soothsayer,  but  he  left  his  friends  in 
no  doubt  about  his  opinion. 

"  War  !  Of  course  it  means  war,"  he  told  a 
lieutenant  who  brought  word  of  fresh  desertions. 
"  Every  cross-roads  post-office  which  Redfern  fills 
will  become  a  Maddox  outpost.  Every  soldier  of 
fortune  in  the  party  will  hie  him  to  the  camp 
which  makes  spoils  its  prime  aim.  The  war  is  on 
and  the  first  laurels  belong  to  the  allied  enemy  — 
the  President  and  Maddox,  the  '  Puritan  and 
the  blackleg. 

Signs  of  open  strife  abounded.  From  the 
Hudson  to  the  Niagara  the  petty  politicians 
trimmed  their  sails.  The  governor  swung  a  dis 
tracted  pendulum  between  rival  advisers,  pleasing 
neither.  Maddox's  legislative  henchmen  wan- 

326 


THE    MASTERY  327 

tonly  filibustered  wherever  it  would  serve  a  fac 
tional  end.  When  the  spring  days  brought  the 
session  to  a  close,  Drew  left  his  Albany  post  with 
the  feeling  that  he  had  cast  off  an  old  man  of  the 
sea. 

He  was  not  without  his  incubus,  however.  The 
cloud  of  business  depression,  whose  shadow  had 
worked  disaster  in  November,  disclosed  no  silver 
lining  in  the  months  succeeding,  and  Drew's  per 
sonal  interests  were  too  intricately  enmeshed  in 
ticker-tape  to  let  him  be  a  dispassionate  spectator. 
He  had  a  down-town  office  in  New  York  in  asso 
ciation  with  the  men  whose  projects  he  shared,  and 
to  this  small  cell  in  a  vast  hive  overlooking  the 
quiet  graves  of  Trinity,  he  now  came  daily  to  pay 
the  penalty  of  riches. 

It  was  on  returning  here  one  afternoon  from  a 
protracted  directors'  meeting  that  he  found  Kath- 
erine's  card  and  a  pencilled  request  for  an  inter 
view.  Drew  fingered  the  bit  of  pasteboard  with 
an  expression  strange  to  that  workday  world.  It 
was  the  first  direct  word  of  a  year.  He  had  not 
avoided  the  dainty  apartment  in  Central  Park 
West  which  the  Austins  had  leased  the  preceding 
autumn,  but  he  had  taken  pains  to  learn  the 
precise  days  and  hours  Katherine  gave  the  social 
settlement,  and  he  saw  to  it  that  their  ways  did 


328  THE    MASTERY 

not  cross.  Now,  by  her  seeking,  they  were  to 
meet.  He  puzzled  over  her  motive  an  instant ; 
then  called  himself  a  fool.  What  possible  tie  but 
their  business  relation  bound  them  ? 

He  left  his  car  at  a  point  where  the  city's  gin- 
mills  and  low  theatres  seemed  to  cluster  thickest, 
and  struck  in  among  the  squalid  warrens  of  the 
very  poor.  It  was  a  city  within  a  city,  this 
region ;  a  bizarre  exotic  growth.  Its  dirt,  its 
huckstering,  its  teeming  life,  were  those  of  a 
foreign  ghetto  ;  the  gay  placards  in  the  little 
shops  were  rarely  English ;  the  dress  of  the 
people  was  strange  ;  the  speech  of  the  street  a 
babel  of  alien  tongues.  Drew  had  rather  more 
than  an  academic  interest  in  the  civic  problem 
this  thing  presented,  but  as  a  sheer  physical  fact 
he  found  it  utterly  distasteful,  and  to  gain  the 
Settlement  House  with  its  cleanliness,  its  cheer, 
its  decorative  appeal  to  the  cultivated  sense, 
brought  profound  relief. 

His  ring  failing  of  a  response,  he  followed  the 
lead  of  two  or  three  urchins  who  were  entering 
with  an  air  of  proprietorship,  and  so  quested  along 
the  hall  in  the  hope  of  meeting  some  one  in 
authority.  In  a  sunny  room  at  the  end  of  the 
passage  he  ran  upon  a  kindergarten  of  most 
amazing  lung  power,  but  the  collective  infantile 


THE    MASTERY  329 

stare  of  the  circle  abashed  him  and  he  beat  an 
ignominious  retreat.  A  bright-faced  Italian  boy 
whom  he  accosted  replied,  "  Sure,  boss,"  when  he 
asked  him  if  he  knew  Miss  Wentworth,  and 
volunteered  to  guide  him  upstairs  to  a  mysterious 
"  club  "  where  he  said  she  was  to  be  found.  On 
an  upper  floor  they  turned  into  an  unoccupied 
billiard  room  which  opened  into  yet  other  rooms 
at  whose  remote  end  he  could  see  Katherine  in 
the  midst  of  a  score  of  wide-awake  boys  of  twelve 
or  more  years.  The  Italian  youngster  was  for 
calling  her,  but  Drew  abruptly  closed  their  rela 
tions  with  a  tip,  and  unseen  sat  down  to  wait. 

He  could  not  precisely  make  out  what  the 
club  was  about,  but  its  members  clearly  deemed 
its  affairs  of  prime  importance.  He  was  rather 
bewildered  to  find  it  conducted  in  parliamentary 
form.  "  Mr.  President,"  whom  all,  not  excepting 
Katherine  herself,  always  rose  punctiliously  to 
address,  was  an  Irish  lad  with  an  obvious  future 
in  his  ward.  In  fact  Drew  was  inclined  to  view 
it  all  as  an  incipient  political  machine.  He  was 
struck  with  the  way  Katherine's  tact  made  for 
courtesy  and  quickened  the  boy  instinct  for  fair 
play.  The  meeting  reached  its  decorous  adjourn 
ment,  and  the  club  was  whooping  down  the  stairs 
before  she  saw  that  he  had  been  a  witness. 


330  THE    MASTERY 

"  Yes,  I  listened,"  he  admitted.  "  You  worked 
wonders  with  your  street  arabs." 

"  Oh,  but  Harriet  had  that  club  before  me," 
she  owned  frankly.  "  When  she  took  hold,  they 
were  regular  little  muckers.  They  stole  her 
pocket-book,  blew  out  the  gas,  broke  the  furniture, 
—  in  fact  played  rough-house  generally  till  any 
body  else  would  have  pitched  them  downstairs." 

"  It  takes  a  linguist  too,  I  see." 

"Oh,  the  slang?"  she  laughed.  "Well,  it 
helps.  I  did  not  mean  that  my  message  should 
bring  you  here,"  she  went  on.  "  I  waited  at  your 
office  as  long  as  I  could." 

"  If  you  had  written  or  telephoned,  I  would 
have  met  you." 

"  I  went  on  the  spur  of  the  moment.  I  was 
worried." 

"  But  the  bulk  of  your  property  is  now  secure 
from  market  fluctuations,"  he  reassured.  "  Noth 
ing  is  amiss.  I  meant  to  ask  the  admiral  to  tell 
you  not  to  let  these  panic  times  make  you  uneasy." 

"It  was  not  for  that  —  Philip." 

It  tugged  at  his  heartstrings  to  hear  his  name 
from  her  lips  again. 

"  What  then,  Katherine  ?  " 

"It's  about  the  Washington  property  —  those 
lots  you  said  you  could  sell." 


THE    MASTERY  331 

"  Said  we  could  sell  !  "  he  came  back  at  her 
quickly.  "Why,  we  closed  that  matter  long  ago. 
The  admiral  took  the  papers  to  you  early  last 
spring.  The  other  people  seemed  quite  as  anxious 
to  make  the  trade  as  we  were.  It's  a  lucky  thing 
we  unloaded  before  the  hard  times  fairly  set  in. 
You  can't  even  give  away  unimproved  real  estate 
these  days." 

She  heard  him  through  quietly. 

"  Philip,"  she  accused,  "  you  bought  those 
miserable  lots  yourself." 

Drew  blushed  to  the  hair. 

"  What  are  you  talking  about,  Katherine  ?  " 
he  blustered.  "  You  must  have  read  the  deeds 
you  signed.  Ask  the  admiral  who  it  was  bought 
the  land." 

"  You  hoodwinked  uncle,  too.  Even  now  he 
doesn't  guess  that  those  other  people  were  merely 
go-betweens.  I  was  a  foolish  woman  not  to  see 
it,  but  somehow  I  saw  nothing  clearly  then.  It 
was  afterward  that  it  puzzled  and  worried  me, 
and  I  could  not  rest  till  I  got  to  the  bottom  of 
the  mystery.  I  learned  the  full  truth  only  this 
morning.  You  bought  that  wretched  land  your 
self,  Philip.  You  bought  it  to  save  'The  Beeches' 
for  me.  And  you  did  it  at  a  time  when  I  —  " 

"  Let  me  explain  —  " 


332  THE   MASTERY 

"  You  can't  explain  away  your  ownership.  I 
know  it  for  a  fact,  and  I  must  undo  the  wrong. 

'  O 

At  a  time  when  every  dollar  counts  you  are  sad 
dled  with  those  worthless  acres  —  " 

"  Worthless !  "  Drew  was  seized  with  what  he 
took  to  be  a  brilliant  inspiration.  "  Just  let  me 
say  a  word  before  you  invest  a  plain  business 
transaction  with  any  further  romance.  I'll  admit 
that  I  decided  to  take  over  the  property  myself. 
You  could  not  afford  to  wait  for  a  rise  in  values. 
I  can.  When  the  street  railway  overtakes  that 
section,  I  shall  be  the  one  to  talk  of  restitution." 

Katherine's  expression  changed.  Doubt,  relief, 
and  a  feeling  akin  to  disappointment  were  by 
turns  uppermost. 

"  Oh,"  she  said  finally,  and  the  little  word 
epitomized  many  things. 

Drew  gave  his  improvisation  another  touch. 

"  I've  had  some  experience  with  street  rail 
ways,"  he  reminded. 

"  And  there  will  be  an  extension  ?  " 

"  Of  course  there  will."  To  himself  he  scru 
pulously  added,  "  Even  if  I  have  to  build  it." 

He  did  himself  an  ill  turn  by  his  chivalry. 
With  his  own  hands  he  upraised  the  barrier 
which  had  fallen  before  Katherine's  discovery 
of  the  morning.  The  eager  confession  of  her 


THE    MASTERY  333 

injustice  froze  upon  her  lips.  This,  too,  at  a 
moment  when  to  be  near  her,  meet  her  eyes,  hear 
her  voice,  note  her  shifting  color  as  he  had  de 
lighted  to  watch  it  in  the  happier  time,  fed  the 
hunger  of  a  year.  He  tried  to  be  all  discretion 
as,  by  one  pretext  and  another,  he  eked  out  his 
stay,  and  succeeded  till  almost  the  last,  when  she 
came  with  him  to  the  head  of  the  stair. 

"  This  is  not  your  place,  Katherine,"  he  said 
abruptly.  "  This  is  not  your  work." 

"  It  is  work,  though." 

"  Which  others  could  do  better.  Let  the 
trained  troops  fight  the  slum." 

"  There  are  fewer  than  you  think  to  lend  a 
hand." 

"  There  are  fewer  still  able  to  do  what  you 
might  elsewhere.  Why  lavish  upon  these  raga 
muffins  a  social  gift  which — ah,  well,"  he  cut 
himself  off,  "  it's  your  affair,  not  mine." 

The  woman  found  no  rejoinder.  She  knew  far 
better  than  he  that  this  was  not  her  work,  and  if, 
in  that  moment  of  blunt  candor,  Drew  had  laid  a 
masterful  hand  upon  hers  and  said,  "  Come,"  she 
would  have  followed. 

The  incident  had  its  echoes.  In  the  hurried 
days  of  his  anxious  spring  Drew  chanced  upon 
one  or  two  quiet  hours  with  that  facile  confidante, 


334  THE    MASTERY 

Dick's  wife,  to  whom  he  voiced  his  vigorous 
disapproval  of  Katherine's  exile,  together  with 
some  unwitting  revelations  personal  to  himself. 
As  Katherine  on  her  part  had  already  made  sig 
nificant  references  to  Drew's  call  in  her  letters, 
Harriet  conceived  and  began  to  indulge  the  hope 
of  a  reconciliation.  It  was  little  more  than  a 
day-dream  with  her  while  spring  sped  into  sum 
mer,  but  to  dream  was  to  scheme,  and  on  Dick's 
mentioning  one  August  morning  that  Drew  would 
be  in  town  the  next  Sunday,  behold !  a  full- 
ripened  plot  hung  temptingly  at  hand. 

"  I  want  you  to  ask  Philip  up  here  Sunday 
evening,  Dick,"  she  announced,  debating  mean 
while  whether  she  should  admit  him  to  the  full 
privileges  of  a  fellow-conspirator.  "  Tell  him  I'll 
have  the  salad  just  as  he  likes  it." 

"  Of  course  we'll  have  fazzer's  uncle  up  to  see 
urns,  won't  we,  buster  ?  "  gurgled  Dick,  over  the 
crib  of  his  offspring. 

For  the  moment  his  usefulness  as  a  conspirator 
was  problematic.  Dick  in  his  paternal  role  was, 
as  Drew  observed,  Dick  at  his  Dickiest.  Before 
the  twins  were  a  week  old  he  had  settled  their 
careers.  The  boy  was  to  go  to  Yale  and  captain 
the  Eleven  —  his  father  knew  by  his  legs,  he  said, 
that  he  would  make  a  superb  left  end ;  while  the 


THE   MASTERY  335 

girl  was  to  dazzle  the  world  with  her  soprano 
voice  and  bring  princes  to  her  feet. 

"  Katherine  will  be  here,  to  be  sure,"  Harriet 
pursued  casually.  "  It's  this  week,  you  know, 
she  has  promised  us.  But  they're  beginning  to 
meet  now  without  restraint  —  " 

"  I  tell  you,"  Dick  broke  in,  "  that  baby's  in 
telligence  is  something  marvellous.  Just  see  how 
she  looks  at  you  while  you  talk  !  " 

"  I   wish  you  would  follow  her  example." 

"  Heard  every  word.  You  said  Katherine 
would  meet  Philip  here,  and  —  thunder!  That 
can't  be  right  ?  " 

Harriet  reconstructed  her  ruse  with  infinite 
patience. 

"  We  seldom  get  the  chance  to  entertain 
Philip,"  she  urged,  "  and  I've  quite  set  my  heart 
on  his  coming.  Katherine's  being  here  won't 
matter  in  the  slightest.  As  I  tried  to  tell  you 
just  now,  they  see  one  another  occasionally, 
and—" 

"  And  the  brazen  fact  is  you  are  trying  to  patch 
things  up  between  that  balky  pair.  Own  up." 

"  Well,  then,  I  am.  Moreover,  you're  going 
to  help.  It  will  be  your  business  to  get  him 
up  here  without  his  suspecting  whom  he  is  to 
meet." 


336  THE   MASTERY 

"  Oh,  I  could  corral  him,  but  if  it's  only  for 
another  singeing  —  " 

"  Dick,  she's  a  different  Katherine  !  " 

A  bedtime  talk  between  the  girls  Saturday 
night  left  Harriet  in  high  conceit  with  her 
plans. 

"  I  know  it  will  turn  out  beautifully,  Dick," 
she  announced,  coming  back  to  him  with  pink 
cheeks  toward  midnight.  "  She  let  fall  the  most 
significant  things." 

"  For  instance  ? "  demanded  her  husband, 
sleepily. 

"  Well,"  considered  Harriet,  "  she  alluded  con 
sciously  to  a  call  he  made  at  the  Settlement." 

Dick  roused  himself  sufficiently  for  a  sceptical 
smile. 

"  Next  ?  "  he  invited. 

"  Later  she  said  that  the  work  had  taught  her 
the  tremendous  value  of  human  love  !  " 

"  Swashing  arguments  for  a  reconciliation 
those  !  " 

"  And  besides,"  ended  Harriet,  delivering  her 
prime  reason  last,  "  she's  looking  perfectly 
lovely." 

Further  energy  was  reserved  for  Katherine  her 
self.  Dick's  artfully  casual  breakfast-table  allu 
sion  to  Drew's  presence  in  the  city,  and  Harriet's 


THE    MASTERY  337 

spontaneous  recollection  of  his  passion  for  chicken 
salad  made  after  her  own  particular  recipe,  fell 
short  somehow  of  their  expected  effect,  and  be 
fore  the  day  was  much  older  resort  was  taken  to 
a  "  pretty  widow  "  measure  which  Harriet  had 
meant  to  use  only  in  extreme  need. 

"  I  didn't  go  outside  the  truth  one  jot,"  she 
defended  her  course.  "  Philip  has  said  that  our 
next-door  neighbor  is  fascinating.  I  asked  him 
once  if  he  didn't  think  so.  And  he  has  paid  her 
some  little  attentions." 

"Also  by  your  asking,"  grinned  Dick.  "Took 
her  in  to  dinner,  didn't  he,  or  something  equally 
romantic  ?  " 

"  I  kept  to  the  facts.  Katherine's  interpreta 
tion  of  them  is  her  own  affair." 

"  What's  the  result  ?  Any  outward  and  vis 
ible  sign  ?  " 

Harriet  smiled  triumphantly. 

"  Indeed  there  is.  Katherine  is  to  wear  a 
cream-colored  crepe  de  chine  which  was  always 
Philip's  favorite.  And  that  reminds  me  !  I  want 
you  to  slip  out  by  and  by  and  bring  her  home 
some  violets  if  you  have  to  ransack  every  florist's 
in  town." 

Dick's  superior  smile  indicated  the  line  of  com 
ment  he  was  not  permitted  to  ventilate, 
z 


338  THE   MASTERY 

"  When  are  we  to  expect  Philip  ?  "  she  asked 
abruptly. 

"  I'm  to  stop  by  the  Valley  Club  for  him  at 
five  o'clock." 

"  You  didn't  let  him  dream  of  Katherine's 
being  with  us  ?  " 

"  After  all  you've  said  ?  We  had  plenty  else 
to  talk  about." 

"  The  twins,  I  presume." 

Dick  blushed  guiltily. 

"  I  did  mention  them,  I  believe." 

"You'll  be  shunned  as  a  public  nuisance  soon," 
said  Harriet. 

She  bundled  him  off  to  fetch  Drew  long 
before  it  was  necessary,  and  herself  served  as 
Katherine's  tire-woman  for  the  last  touches  of 
the  toilet  which  was  to  work  such  magic  in  the 
masculine  memory.  Neither  girl  said  much  dur 
ing  these  rites,  but  the  air  was  electric  with  sym 
pathy,  and  Harriet  kissed  Katherine  effusively 
before  they  passed  down  into  the  cool  obscurity 
of  the  living  room  to  await  the  coming  guest. 

It  seemed  centuries  to  the  young  wife  before 
she  distinguished  her  husband's  step  without, 
and,  with  a  delicious  return  of  the  thrill  which 
had  glorified  her  own  romance,  sprang  to  play 
the  hostess  at  the  door. 


THE    MASTERY  339 

At  the  threshold  her  vivacity  drooped. 

"  Alone,  Dick  !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,"  he  said  gloomily. 

"  But  he  promised  this  morning  —  "  Harriet's 
vexed  tears  surcharged  eyes  and  voice. 

"  He  left  a  note  saying  that  he'd  been  called 
out  of  town." 

"I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it !  I  think  — 
Dick  ! " 

Harris  met  her  eyes  reluctantly. 

"  Well  ?  " 

"I  know  you  said  something  —  let  something 
slip  out." 

"That's  just  what  I'm  afraid  I  did  do,"  her 
husband  acknowledged  miserably.  "  In  fact  I 
seem  now  to  remember  that  in  telling  him  how 
the  twins  —  " 

Harriet  left  him  floundering  and  turned  de 
jectedly  within.  There  was  a  faint  perfume  of 
violets  near  the  newel-post.  From  an  upper 
landing  fell  the  retreating  murmur  of  crepe  de 
chine. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

THE  little  household's  several  opinions,  ex 
pressed  or  repressed,  did  the  absentee  scant  jus 
tice.  Dick's  unguarded  admissions  had  wrought 
no  mischief,  since  a  chance  encounter  with  Mrs. 
Austin  in  New  York  had  prepared  Drew  for  a 
meeting  which  till  a  quarter  before  two  o'clock  he 
saw  no  reason  to  avoid.  Politics,  not  pique,  had 
wrecked  Harriet's  hopes. 

Alarming  news  had  reached  Drew.  Some 
time  ago  Maddox,  by  dint  of  a  union  for  mutual 
profit  with  his  neighbors  across  Brooklyn  Bridge, 
a  deal  with  the  less  reputable  wing  of  the  party 
which  had  achieved  the  whip-hand  near  Lake 
Erie,  and  through  minor  alliances  with  guerilla 
movements  everywhere,  had  come  into  control 
of  half  the  state  committee.  Drew's  casting 
vote  as  chairman  alone  decided  his  supremacy, 
and  now,  on  the  very  eve  of  a  meeting,  one 
of  his  supporters  was  said  to  have  trumped  up 
some  errand  beyond  the  Mississippi. 

Monday,  and  the  Job's  comforters  who  fore- 
340 


THE    MASTERY  341 

gathered  at  the  Madison  Square  headquarters 
brought  no  gleam  of  encouragement.  After  end 
less  telegrams,  the  runaway  was  located  and  wired 
his  "  personal  business"  excuse,  with  vague  allu 
sions  to  a  proxy,  which  further  telegraphing  had 
failed  to  explain  when  Tuesday  dawned  and  the 
crisis  was  at  hand.  Drew  steeled  himself  to  meet 
the  unknown  as  he  entered  the  room  where  the 
committeemen  awaited  his  coming  with  the  eager 
expectancy  of  play-goers  assembled  for  some 
much-heralded  first  performance.  His  eye  never 
wavered  when  in  a  far  corner  he  distinguished 
Maddox's  saturnine  face,  and  it  was  told  of  him 
admiringly  that  his  nerve  was  unshaken  in  the 
yet  more  trying  moment  when  the  roll-call 
reached  the  missing  man's  name  and  Maddox 
coolly  declared  himself  his  proxy. 

The  room  was  at  high  tension  thenceforward. 
The  undercurrent  of  gossip  and  chaffing  which 
the  earlier  stages  of  the  roll-call  had  not  wholly 
checked  now  ceased  utterly.  Men  pulled  auto 
matically  at  their  cigars  or  let  them  smoulder 
unnoticed.  Every  eye  save  Maddox's  was  on 
the  chairman.  Somehow  and  somewhere  in  this 
meeting  the  long-bruited  trial  of  strength  was 
plainly  to  ensue.  The  wait  was  not  prolonged. 
The  gathering  had  but  one  definite  object,  and  a. 


342  THE    MASTERY 

Drew  man  got  promptly  to  his  feet  with  a  resolu 
tion  that  the  state  convention  be  held  in  Saratoga 
Springs  on  September  thirtieth.  He  was  a  capa 
ble  speaker,  and  in  the  space  of  a  minute  or  two 
had  succinctly  put  the  argument  for  fixing  a  late 
date. 

"  As  for  Saratoga,"  he  ended,  "  I  dare  say  we're 
all  agreed  that  something  more  than  chance  has 
made  it  a  political  clearing-house  for  both  great 
parties." 

He  sat  down. 

"  Mr.  Chairman,"  came  a  gentle  appeal  for 
recognition. 

O 

Halfway  down  the  room  Drew  beheld  his  antag 
onist  standing,  with  a  slip  of  paper  in  his  hand. 

"  Mr.  Maddox,"  he  said. 

"  I've  a  substitute  to  offer." 

A  hushed  audience  waited  for  Maddox  to  don 
a  pair  of  glasses  after  this  statement.  His  every 
movement  was  deliberate :  the  polishing  of  the 
lenses,  the  adjustment  to  his  heavy  nose,  the  un 
folding  of  his  memorandum.  Then,  in  his  deep, 
mild  voice,  he  slowly  read  a  resolution  that  the 
convention  should  meet  in  the  city  of  Two  Rivers 
on  the  seventeenth  day  of  September,  and  vouch 
safing  no  reasons  for  his  action,  calmly  folded  his 
paper,  removed  his  glasses,  and  took  his  seat. 


THE   MASTERY  343 

There  was  a  prolonged  silence.  Maddox's 
curious  choice  of  Drew's  own  home  in  a  patently 
hostile  move  nonplussed  his  opponents.  The  up 
state  men  sat  in  grave  wonder.  The  Brooklyn 
and  Manhattan  committeemen  exchanged  know 
ing  smiles.  No  one  stirred  to  interfere.  The 
battle  of  the  giants  was  on.  Maddox  had  thrown 
down  the  glove ;  it  was  for  no  lesser  man  than 
Drew  to  accept  the  gauge. 

Drew  did  not  hesitate.  The  sop  to  his  pride 
in  his  city  went  for  nothing  ;  the  assault  upon  his 
personal  leadership  seemed  a  trivial  thing;  the 
evil  which  this  tactical  blunder  might  do  the  party 
was  paramount.  As  deliberate  as  Maddox  in  the 
beginning,  his  words  came  at  last  with  a  passionate, 
hurrying  force. 

"  No  convention  city  may  claim  me  for  its 
boomer,"  he  said  ;  "  my  own  city  least  of  all. 
Let  it  be  Saratoga  or  Two  Rivers  as  you  will.  It 
is  against  the  suicidal  folly  of  calling  the  conven 
tion  together  in  the  middle  of  September  that  I 
protest.  If  ever  we  needed  a  short,  sharp  cam 
paign,  it  is  in  this  year  of  panic,  strikes,  and  finan 
cial  disaster.  Ours  is  not  the  offensive,  but  the 
defensive  position.  Did  the  spring  elections,  with 
town  after  town  lost  to  us,  convey  no  warning  ? 
Does  all  that  out-of-season  activity  of  the  enemy 


344  THE    MASTERY 

count  for  naught  ?  Is  it  of  no  significance  that 
they  believe  they  could  elect  a  yellow  dog  gov 
ernor  this  fall  ?  Wait  upon  their  convention, 
gentlemen.  Wait  upon  their  platform,  their 
nominations.  Let  us  profit  by  their  mistakes, 
not  expose  our  own  for  campaign  capital.  We 
have  nothing  to  lose  by  such  a  policy  ;  we  may 
gain  everything.  Wait,  I  say,  wait." 

One  or  two  of  his  adherents  plucked  up  spirit 
to  add  a  word.  The  hostile  cohorts  held  their 
smirking  peace. 

"  We  might  vote  by  way  of  variety,"  Maddox 
himself  at  length  remarked  with  unsmiling  jocu 
larity. 

Drew  stolidly  took  the  ballot  which  he  knew 
meant  humiliation. 

"  It  seems  to  be  Two  Rivers  and  the  seven 
teenth,"  he  announced  calmly. 

"  Move  we  journ ! "  shouted  a  New  York 
member,  with  a  swift  second  from  Brooklyn  ;  and 
an  instant  later  the  victors  flocked  forth  into  the 
expectant  corridors  to  spread  the  news. 

According  to  the  newspaper  extras  the  price  of 
the  missing  committeeman's  absence  was  a  block 
of  congressional  delegates  which  Maddox  had 
contracted  with  an  up-state  chairman  to  deliver, 
but  Drew  did  not  greatly  concern  himself  with 


THE    MASTERY  345 

explanations.     The  vital  point  was  voiced  by  the 
cry  of  the  newsboys  beneath  his  windows  :  — 

"MADDOX    IS    BOSS!    MADDOX    IS    BOSS!" 

Yet  while  his  followers  were  blatantly  proclaim 
ing  that  he  would  control  the  next  state  commit 
tee  and  dictate  the  convention's  slate,  Maddox 
himself  laid  no  claim  to  the  titular  leadership  by 
reason  of  his  triumph.  He  was  quoted  as  say 
ing  that  party  success,  not  this  or  that  man's 
supremacy,  was  the  foremost  consideration  ;  and 
indeed  lent  his  name  to  a  specious  harmony  move 
ment  which  during  early  September  some  of  the 
party  organs  set  afoot.  It  was  a  sham  hardly 
worth  the  enemy's  trouble  to  expose,  for  all  over 
the  state  resounded  its  boisterous  refutation  as 
Maddox  men  clashed  with  Drew  men  over  the 
choice  of  delegates.  It  was  a  wearing  struggle, 
and  when  Drew  entered  the  Post-Messenger  office 
the  afternoon  before  the  convention  met,  Harris 
told  him  that  he  looked  like  a  ghost. 

"  Stretch  yourself  on  the  lounge  here,"  Dick 
entreated,  jumping  up  to  sweep  a  mass  of  reference 
books  to  the  floor.  "  You  need  a  rest." 

"  I  came  partly  for  that,"  Drew  answered, 
declining  the  lounge  and  dropping  wearily  into 
a  chair  by  a  window.  "  Nobody  knows  I'm 


346  THE    MASTERY 

here  except  McQuade,  who  has  a  report  to 
make." 

"  Your  Algonquin  House  headquarters  are 
mobbed,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"Yes.     And   it's  little  better  at  the  office." 

"  Nor  at  the  Valley  Club.  Don't  go  there  to 
rest.  While  I  lunched,  at  least  a  dozen  men 
asked  me  where  to  find  you.  Better  send  your 
traps  up  to  the  house.  It's  all  quiet  along  the 
Potomac  there  after  taps.  The  twins  are  like 
mice.  Why,  the  other  night  —  " 

Drew  laughed  as  the  parent  checked  himself. 

"  Don'tsuppress  it,"  he  said.  "A  baby  story  will 
seem  idyllic  after  what  I've  been  through  to-day." 

"  No,  sir,"  Dick  declined  firmly.  "  It's  a  daisy, 
but  I  won't  tell  it.  I  promised  Harriet  I'd  quit." 

Drew  bade  him  go  on  with  his  work,  and  for 
twenty  minutes  Dick's  pen  scratched  industriously. 
He  was  coatless,  collarless,  and  his  hair  was  rum 
pled.  An  electric  fan  purred  ineffectually  at 
elbow  ;  in  the  main  office  just  without  the  re 
porters  were  banging  out  their  afternoon  copy 
on  the  typewriters ;  from  the  press-room  door 
belched  intermittent  gusts  of  hot  air  reeking  of 
machine  oil  and  printer's  ink. 

Presently  McQuade  tapped,  and  with  a 
"  Howdy,  Mister  Editor"  crossed  to  his  chief. 


THE    MASTERY  347 

"  It's  all  right,"  he  said  sententiously. 

Drew  nodded  his  complete  comprehension, 
and  without  further  parley  they  turned  to  watch 
the  unwonted  throngs  which  the  convention  had 
already  drawn  to  the  city's  streets. 

Dick  presently  left  his  desk  and  joined  them. 

"  Philip,  what  was  Maddox's  motive  in  send 
ing  the  convention  here  ?  "  he  queried.  "  We're 
not  central,  our  hotels  can't  begin  to  accommodate 
the  crowd,  and  our  music  hall  is  a  barn.  What's 
the  nigger  in  the  fence,  anyhow  ?  " 

"A  bit  of  a  clairvoyant,  eh?"  Drew  smiled 
over  at  McQuade. 

"  Now  if  he'd  only  read  th'  old  skeezick's 
mind,  too  !  "  suggested  the  Irishman. 

"  The  fact  is,  Dick,  we're  rather  exercised 
about  that  colored  person  ourselves,"  Drew  ad 
mitted.  "Whatever  Maddox's  motive,  we're 
trying  to  keep  our  eyes  open.  Such  advantage 
as  it  gives  us  we've  taken.  Larry  here  has  just 
made  sure  that  their  claqueurs  won't  fill  all  the 
gallery  space." 

"  They're  coming  a  thousand  strong,  I  hear." 

"  Twelve  hundred's  th'  latest  tally  of  th'  chair- 
warmers,"  corrected  McQuade.  "  Two  train 
loads  of  'em." 

A  cheer  from  down  the  street  crackled  nearer 


348  THE    MASTERY 

and  louder  with  a  drumming  accompaniment  of 
hoofs. 

"  They've  arrived,"  Dick  said,  glancing  at  his 
watch.  "  Their  first  special  was  due  long  ago." 

McQuade  craned  underneath  the  awnings. 

"  It's  King  Maddox  himself,  bowin'  right  an' 
left  like  a  conqueror !  "  he  called.  "  Hear  them 
poor  galoots  cheer  !  " 

Maddox  whipped  past,  girt  about  by  a  flash 
ing  cordon  of  mounted  police.  Then  the  street 
crowd  forgot  him  at  the  first  strains  of  a  distant 
band  which  heralded  his  host.  On  they  came 
with  military  precision,  rank  on  rank,  company 
on  company,  the  badges  of  their  clan  glittering  in 
the  autumn  sunshine,  pride  of  the  flesh  in  their 
carriage,  jovial  bravado  in  every  step. 

"  They're  a  fine  lot  of  bums  t'  dictate  t'  decent 
people,"  McQuade  cried  angrily,  as  the  last  rank 
passed  and  the  crowd  closed  in  to  follow.  "  Not 
an  honest  face  in  th'  pack." 

"  Yes  there  is,  Larry,"  Drew  gravely  contra 
dicted,  making  ready  to  go.  "  I  saw  many  an 
honest  face,  and  honest  men  behind  them,  too. 
It's  workers,  not  loafers,  Maddox  wants.  I  could 
have  pointed  out  lawyers,  bankers,  business  men, 
respectability  of  all  sorts.  It  is  just  that  which 
makes  Maddoxism  so  hard  to  down." 


THE    MASTERY  349 

There  was  nothing  spectacular  in  the  night's 
happenings,  but  two  things  transpired  which  ap 
pealed  to  the  popular  craving  for  dramatic  events. 
Drew  and  Maddox  were  brought  together  in  a 
brief  talk  over  candidates ;  and  the  state  com 
mittee —  whose  meeting  neither  great  leader  at 
tended —  named  a  friend  of  Drew's  for  temporary 
chairman  of  the  convention.  Harris  looked  in 
at  the  Algonquin  House  after  his  paper  went  to 
press  and  found  McQuade  full  in  the  swing  of 
his  annual  fever. 

"  They're  learnin'  who's  who,  them  thugs," 
he  said,  clapping  Dick  heavily  on  the  shoulder. 
"  Old  Maddox  is  up  with  th'  white  flag.  *  Har 
mony  '  he  says.  Rot !  He's  scared.  'Twas  him 
asked  f'r  a  conf'rence." 

"  Is  there  any  chance  of  seeing  Philip  ?  If  I 
could  take  him  home  with  me,  he'd  get  a  little 
sleep." 

"Sleep!  Come,  an'  I'll  show  you  an  edify  in' 
sight." 

They  squeezed  into  an  elevator  and  debouched 
upon  a  second  floor  amidst  an  even  denser  throng 
than  that  which  packed  the  lobby  below. 

"  Sleep,  I  b'lieve  you  was  sayin',"  McQuade 
went  on.  "  Not  if  this  push  knows  it !  Phil 
is  located  in  213,  —  bad  number  that,  come  t' 


350  THE    MASTERY 

think,  —  an'  King  Maddox's  throne  room  is  two 
doors  beyond  with  Lord  Redfern  guardin'  th' 
august  presence." 

"  Then  Redfern's  here,  after  all  ?  " 
"  Blew  in  not  ten  minutes  ago.     Yet  th'  admin 
istration  ain't  interferin  '  !  " 

Dick  lingered  downstairs  an  interval,  mingling 
with  the  crowd.  It  was  unlike  any  convention 
talk  he  had  known.  Candidates  were  unseen  and 
seldom  mentioned.  One  would  scarcely  have 
gathered  that  a  gubernatorial  nomination  was  to 
be  made.  Governor  Scott  had  long  since  pru 
dently  discovered  that  his  personal  affairs  would 
compel  him  to  decline  a  renomination,  and  no  one 
had  been  eager  to  take  his  place.  For  once  the 
office  sought  the  man.  The  whole  excited,  fever 
ish,  often  bitter  debate  was  of  the  fight  between 
rival  leaders,  —  the  stern  grapple  for  mastery 
between  Maddox  and  Drew. 

"I  tell  you  Maddox  has  the  delegates  —  " 
"  Watch   Drew  fool   him  !     See  how  the  state 
committee  came  round  —  " 

"  Poppycock,  old  man,  listen  —  " 
"  Bet  you  fifty  he'll  write  the  platform  —  " 
"  Maddox  will  bag  the  new  state  committee  — 
nominate  his  slate  —  " 

"  This  house-cleaning  simply  had  to  come. 
Our  up-state  folks  won't  tolerate  — " 


THE    MASTERY  351 

Harris  did  not  see  his  uncle  again  till  noon  on 
the  morrow  when  Drew  came  slowly  down  the 
rostrum  of  the  music  hall  to  call  the  convention 
to  order  in  a  brief  session  which  the  spectators 
thought  exasperatingly  tame.  There  was  no 
clash  between  the  leaders.  Maddox  did  not  even 
present  himself,  while  Drew,  his  formal  duty 
ended,  quickly  disappeared.  The  temporary  chair 
man's  speech  aroused  far  less  interest  than  the 
roll-call  which  at  least  gave  the  galleries  a  chance 
to  cheer  more  popular  names  than  the  governor's 
and  the  President's.  An  adjournment  followed 
hard  upon  the  usual  appointment  of  committees, 
and  the  crowd  poured  out  to  swirl  and  eddy  near 
the  closed  doors  behind  which  the  chosen  few  were 
waging  the  committee-room  battles  on  which  the 
sage  declared  the  issue  really  hung. 

One  door  above  all  others  riveted  the  gaze 
of  the  bystanders.  It  admitted  to  the  Algonquin 
House  ball-room  which  contained  the  committee 
on  credentials,  now  busily  threshing  out  the  claims 
of  rival  delegations.  A  troop  of  lawyers  guarded 
the  interests  of  Maddox  whose  whereabouts 
were  uncertain.  Drew  was  present  to  care  for  his 
own.  It  was  past  five  o'clock  when  the  ball-room 
emptied  upon  the  already  jammed  corridor  and  the 
sensational  news  of  the  committee's  decision  leaped 


352  THE    MASTERY 

from  man  to  man  and  coursed  from  lobby  to 
street.  Dick  got  wind  of  it  as  he  quitted  his  desk 
to  go  to  dinner,  and  hurried  to  the  Algonquin  for 
confirmation  if  possible  at  the  lips  of  Drew  him 
self.  The  tumult  of  last  night  was  tranquillity 
beside  the  pandemonium  of  to-night.  The  clamor 
of  fatuous  angry  dispute  assailed  his  hearing  at 
the  threshold  ;  taunt  met  taunt,  oath  clashed  oath, 
recrimination  followed  recrimination.  The  space 
about  the  elevator  was  a  welter  of  red-faced,  ill- 
tempered  humanity,  and  as  he  struggled  up  the 
staircase  he  glimpsed  men  in  whom  liquor  had 
raised  the  beast,  shaking  their  fists  in  one  another's 
eyes. 

The  outer  room  of  Drew's  suite  was  crowded 
to  suffocation,  but  Dick  wriggled  in  course  of 
time  to  the  door  of  the  inner  chamber  where 
McQuade  kept  burly  guard,  and,  at  a  fortunate 
moment  when  a  caller  left,  caught  Drew's  eye  and 
slipped  within. 

"  Tell  me  it's  true,  Philip  !  "  he  exclaimed,  wring 
ing  his  hand.  "  Tell  me  that  you've  downed 
Maddox  single-handed  as  they're  saying  !  " 

"  The  committee  on  credentials  seated  our 
men." 

"  And  the  new  state  committee  is  yours  ? 
You've  saved  your  leadership  ?  " 


THE   MASTERY  353 

"  We've  a  safe  margin." 

Dick  fell  upon  him  with  an  ex-foot-ball-player's 
hug. 

"  I  couldn't  go  home  to  Harriet  and  the  babies 
till  I'd  seen  you." 

"  Thanks,  boy." 

"  Harriet  has  worried  herself  half  sick  over  the 
rot  the  papers  have  been  printing.  She  wanted 
to  go  to  the  convention  this  morning,  but  I  dis 
suaded  her.  I  didn't  know  what  might  happen. 
But  it's  all  right  now.  I'll  take  her  up  to-morrow 
and  show  her  the  animals.  McQuade's  reserving 
the  right-hand  stage  box  for  us.  Say,  Philip, 
you  are  coming  home  to  dinner  with  me !  Pot- 
luck  with  Harriet  will  beat  the  Algonquin  or 
Valley  Club  any  day.  You've  got  to  come,  that's 
all.  Wouldn't  you  rather  dine  with  us  than  with 
a  lot  of  rural  politicians  ?  " 

"  Wouldn't  I  !  "  Drew  laughed.  "  But  you 
can  see  with  half  an  eye  that  it's  impossible. 
Don't  think  that  this  thing  is  over  yet.  There 
are  some  nominations  to  be  made." 

Dick  refused  to  take  this  cold  water  seriously. 

"  But  you  have  whipped  Maddox,"  he  insisted. 
"  He's  yielded  all  along  the  line.  You  had  your 
man  made  temporary  chairman,  and  everybody 
says  you  framed  the  platform.  Now  you've 

2  A 


354  THE    MASTERY 

capped  the  climax  by  scooping  the  state  com 
mittee.  It's  been  a  walk-over." 

"  That's  the  drawback.      It's  been  too  easy." 

"  Easy,"  scoffed  the  young  fellow,  instantly 
ready  to  argue  against  himself.  "  What  bosh  ! 
You've  worked  early  and  late  since  Maddox  gave 
you  a  fall  in  August.  It  has  meant  the  dogged 
work  of  weeks  to  convince  those  up-state  delegates 
to  back  you  in  this  fight  in  which  they  ought  to 
have  seen  in  a  jiffy  that  they've  more  at  stake  than 
you." 

The  jaded  man  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  I  must  put  you  out  now,"  he  said.  "  Com 
mend  me  to  Mrs.  Dick  and  the  twins.  Perhaps 
I'll  come  and  see  you  to-morrow  night  when  it's 
all  over." 

"We'll  hold  you  to  that.  So  long — Boss 
Drew ! " 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

PERHAPS  an  hour  later  Katherine  issued  from 
the  Settlement  House  in  New  York  and  lingered 

D 

on  the  doorstep  for  the  night  breeze  from  the 
river  which  was  ridding  the  street  of  the  fetid 
odors  of  the  day.  The  push-cart  venders  still 
lined  either  curb  with  their  gay-colored  wares, 
slatternly  women  gossiped  from  tenement  to  tene 
ment,  and  from  a  third-story  window  of  the  rook 
ery  opposite  a  maudlin  figure  tried  solemnly  to 
arbitrate  a  dispute  on  the  pavement.  A  hurdy- 
gurdy,  with  a  mandolin  attachment  and  a  wealth 
of  trills,  triumphed  over  all  competing  sounds. 
On  the  nethermost  step  below  her  was  the 
Irish  lad  whose  activity  in  his  particular  club  had 
seemed  to  Drew  to  stamp  him  as  a  coming  power 
in  his  ward.  His  face  was  buried  in  the  still 
damp  sheets  of  a  convention  extra  whose  huge 
head-line  Katherine  could  have  read  across  the 


DREW   IN   THE   SADDLE  ! 

As  the  caption  met  her  eye,  she  darted  down 
the  flight. 

355 


356  THE    MASTERY 

"  May  I  read  too,  Dan  ? "  she  asked,  sitting 
down  beside  him. 

"  Sure,  Miss  Wentworth,"  he  said.  "  Gee,  but 
I  wish  't  I  wuz  a  dellygate  t'  dis  scrap  !  " 

The  head-line  and  a  paragraph  of  lesser  type 
outlining  Drew's  committee  achievements  really 
exhausted  the  special's  latest  news,  but  there  was 
a  padding  of  earlier  convention  gossip  and  de 
scriptive  matter  which  Dan  and  the  girl  beside 
him  devoured  to  the  last  morsel. 

"  I  s'pose  ole  Drew  t'inks  he's  a  wise  guy," 
commented  the  boy,  "  but  I'm  on  to  a  t'ing  or 
two.  T'morrer  he'll  get  it  w'ere  Sadie  wore  her 
beads  —  right  in  de  neck." 

Katherine  threw  him  a  quick  look. 

"  Why  do  you  think  Drew  will  get  it  in  the 
neck  to-morrow,  Dan  ?  "  she  asked,  adapting  her 
self  to  his  vernacular. 

"  Oh,  I'm  on,"  he  boasted  mysteriously.  "  I 
put  me  fadder  next  an'  he  tol'  me  t'  shut  me  trap. 
Me  fadder  he  says  it'd  queer  de  game  if  any  ov 
de  Drew  push  tumbled." 

Dan's  listener  caught  her  breath. 

"  I  wish  I  were  next,"  she  declared  with  a 
beguiling  smile.  "I  like  politics." 

"  So,  Miss  Wentworth  ?  " 

"  Heaps." 


THE    MASTERY  357 

Dan  spat  with  sure  marksmanship  at  a  banana 
skin  near  the  curb. 

"  D  jever  hear  ov  wot  dey  calls  a  stampede  ? " 

"  A  stampede  ?     Yes." 

"  Well,  de  poipers'll  tell  youse  all  about  one 
t'morrer.  On  de  level,  Miss  Wentworth  !  Ole 
Maddox  has  got  it  fixed  wid  some  ov  de  hayseeds 
t'  make  dat  gazabo  Drew  run  Pr  gov'n'r  himself, 
an'  I  guess  dat'll  finish  him." 

"  Dan  !  " 

"  I  t'ought  I'd  make  youse  set  up,"  said  the 
gamin,  importantly. 

Katherine  shivered  in  her  excitement,  but  she 
acted  a  careless  scepticism. 

"  Did  you  get  your  news  by  private  wire  ?  " 
she  laughed  nervously.  "  Perhaps  Mr.  Maddox 
himself  sent  you  word." 

Dan  drew  himself  up. 

"  It  wuz  a  priwate  wire  all  right,"  he  answered 
loftily ;  "  but  I  guess  wot  District-leader  O'Hara 
says  goes.  See !  I  got  it  off  him,  so  I  did. 
D'y'  know  de  White  Elephant  saloon,  Miss 
Wentworth  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes,"  Katherine  assented;  "four  blocks 
down  the  street.  I  know  the  place." 

"  Dat's  one  ov  O'Hara's  joints,  an'  dat's  w'ere 
I  got  wise  one  night  w'en  me  fadder  chased  me 


358  THE    MASTERY 

over  Pr  a  pint  ov  suds.  O'Hara  didn't  know  de 
door  t'  de  back  room  was  open  w'en  de  barkeep 
wuz  a-drawin'  me  beer,  an'  you  c'n  guess  Little 
Willie  wuzn't  sayin'  not'in'  neither." 

To  Dan's  bewilderment  his  friend  flew  sud 
denly  up  the  steps,  and  as  suddenly  stopped  in  a 
brown  study  before  the  knocker  at  which  she 
stared  as  if  it  were  perhaps  a  Russian  Jew's  old 
candlestick  or  copper  pot,  objects  that  he  had 
noted  were  of  interest  to  these  unaccountable 
ladies  of  the  Settlement. 

Drew  must  be  warned  !  This  O'Hara  was  as 
close  to  Maddox  as  any  leader  in  the  whole  city, 
and  Dan's  narrative  had  every  mark  of  truth. 
Should  she  telegraph  ?  Then  a  chance  saying  of 
Drew's  about  the  unwisdom  of  political  telegrams 
set  her  thoughts  racing  to  the  cipher  code  they 
had  once  employed,  only  to  remember  that  she 
had  long  since  mislaid  the  key.  She  must  go  to 
him  herself,  and  that  swiftly. 

Hurrying  within,  she  mounted  the  stair  and 
tapped  at  the  head  worker's  door. 

"  I  find  I  must  go  to-night,"  she  announced, 
"  and  it  must  be  at  once." 

The  lady  addressed  waved  a  letter. 

"  Look !  "  she  said.  "  We'll  not  be  short- 
handed.  It  was  unselfish  of  you  to  overstay." 


THE    MASTERY  359 

Again  in  the  street  Katherine  hurried  to  the 
nearest  cab-stand,  and  presently  whirled  northward 
to  the  apartment  in  Central  Park  West.  The 
Austins  were  out  of  the  city,  and  she  could 
take  counsel  with  no  one  save  herself,  but  she 
made  her  hurried  preparations  for  departure  with 
a  buoyant  self-reliance  which  welled  straight  from 
her  woman's  heart. 

She  found  that  there  was  no  through  train  be 
fore  midnight,  and  as  she  waited  in  the  station  till 
she  might  board  her  sleeping-car,  she  bought  the 
later  editions  of  the  evening  papers  and  read  the 
story  of  Drew's  day  of  battle,  whose  triumphs,  if 
she  failed  him,  to-morrow  would  put  at  naught. 
The  fear  lest  she  be  too  late  rode  the  dreams  of 
her  broken  sleep  and  became  a  torment  by  day, 
when  she  woke  to  find  her  train  at  a  standstill 
because  of  a  washout,  and  a  third  of  her  journey 
yet  before. 

The  rain  fell  incessantly  in  the  rocky  gorge 
without,  as  the  minutes  became  an  hour.  The 
convention,  she  had  read,  would  reassemble  at 
noon.  It  was  now  eight  o'clock,  and  her  desti 
nation  lay  two  hours  away,  with  what  further 
obstacles  between  herself  and  Drew  at  the  very 
end  she  could  only  guess.  Even  if  the  wheels 
moved  instantly,  there  would  be  scant  time,  and 


360  THE   MASTERY 

the  train  lay  inert.  She  must  telegraph,  after 
all. 

Her  ring  brought  a  porter. 

"  I  must  send  a  telegram,"  she  told  him. 

"  We're  fo'  mile  from  a  station,"  the  man 
answered. 

"  Then  I  must  send  to  that  station.  Perhaps 
the  conductor  will  let  the  engine  run  ahead  with 
my  message  ?  " 

"  It's  back,  not  ahead." 

"  Then  a  hand-car  ?  " 

The  darkey  could  only  spread  his  hands  in 
helpless  amaze  at  this  madwoman  who  would 
make  free  with  the  engine  and  thought  hand-cars 
dropped  from  the  clouds.  As  he  pondered, 
open-mouthed,  the  distant  locomotive  barked 
twice  or  thrice  in  quick  succession,  and  the  train 
began  to  creep  slowly  on. 

"Thank  God!"  said  the  madwoman,  falling 
back  in  her  seat.  "  Thank  God  !  " 

For  miles  they  seemed  merely  to  crawl.  Then 
the  train  left  the  river-bed  and  danger,  and  darted 
forward  through  the  level  plateau  of  farm  land 
whose  far  boundary  was  that  other  valley  and 
her  journey's  end.  She  was  plagued  afresh  with 
thoughts  of  the  delays  and  restrictions  which 
might  hedge  about  or  even  thwart  a  meeting  with 


THE    MASTERY  361 

Drew ;  and  at  the  first  stop  she  wired  Harris  an 
urgent  appeal  to  meet  her  belated  train.  The 
land  became  more  broken  now  with  little  streams 
tributary  to  the  greater  waters  beyond.  Then 
came  a  glimpse  of  the  misty  hills  which  hemmed 
the  city,  a  gleam  of  river,  and  at  last,  as  the  train 
half  circled  the  vast  bowl  of  the  valley  which  the 
commingling  waters  had  fashioned  in  some  primal 
age,  the  roofs,  the  spires,  the  shipping,  of  her  des 
tination.  The  minute-hand  of  her  watch  stood 
nearer  eleven  o'clock  than  ten  as  the  train  steamed 
beside  the  platform,  and  a  puzzled  yet  as  always 
capable  Dick  ran  forward  and  helped  her  alight. 

"A  cab,  street  car  —  anything!"  she  ex 
claimed. 

"  My  own  dog-cart  is  just  around  the  corner. 
The  trunks  —  " 

"  Can  wait.  I  must  see  Philip  at  once,  Dick. 
There's  not  a  second  to  lose." 

Dick  popped  her  into  his  vehicle  with  the 
swiftness  of  the  Slave  of  the  Lamp,  whose  reserve 
also  he  emulated  as  they  tore  down  the  deep- 
shaded  avenues  toward  the  Algonquin  House. 
His  mind  was  one  lively  conjecture,  but  he  re 
spected  Katherine's  silence.  A  glance  at  her  face 
had  convinced  him  of  her  errand's  weight. 

"  Philip  is  here,  or  was  here  not  an  hour  ago/" 


362  THE    MASTERY 

he  announced,  suddenly  pulling  up  at  the  hotel's 
side  entrance  and  giving  over  his  reins  to  a  boy 
at  the  curb.  "  We'd  better  climb  the  rear  stair 
case.  The  elevator  in  front  is  packed  like  a  cattle- 
pen." 

Katherine  dropped  her  veil  as  they  came  upon 
the  press  of  the  upper  corridor,  and  braved  a  fire 
of  masculine  scrutiny  while  Dick  left  her  in  the 
least  crowded  spot  till  he  could  go  forward  and 
pave  the  way.  He  reappeared  after  what  seemed 
an  eternity,  and  led  her  through  yet  another  gant 
let  of  eyes  to  a  door  which  admitted  directly 
to  Drew's  inner  room.  A  bolt  was  shot  at  her 
knock,  and  alone  she  passed  within. 

The  man  took  her  hand  with  a  look  of  anxiety 
which  no  thought  of  Maddox  had  been  able  to 
imprint. 

"  Do  you  need  me,  Katherine  ?  "  he  demanded. 
"  Are  you  in  trouble  ?  " 

She  plunged  breathlessly  into  her  story,  and, 
even  as  she  spoke,  Drew's  mind  leaped  ahead, 
supplying  details,  bridging  the  unexplained,  piec 
ing  out  the  whole  diabolic  plan  to  undo  him. 
For  long  months  his  enemies  had  plotted  this 
master-stroke.  It  was  for  this  that  they  had  sent 
the  convention  here.  His  own  neighbors,  his 
lifelong  friends,  were  to  be  seduced  to  kill  him 


THE   MASTERY  363 

with  supposed  kindness.  What  were  his  easy 
successes  of  yesterday  beside  Maddox's  crushing 
retaliation  of  to-day  !  The  girl  saw  his  face  ashen, 
and  as  she  ended  he  answered  nothing,  but  groped 
in  a  blind  way  for  the  back  of  a  chair  and  leaned 
upon  it  heavily. 

"  Thanks,  Katherine  girl,"  he  said  finally,  turn 
ing  upon  her  with  a  haggard  smile. 

She  waited  in  momentary  expectation  of  seeing 
him  rally,  but  his  old-time  energy  seemed  to  have 
left  him.  He  could  not  rebound.  His  aspect 
was  that  of  a  resourceless,  beaten  man.  Katherine 
stifled  a  cry  of  dismay,  and  caught  his  listless  fin 
gers  in  her  own. 

D 

"  Courage,  Philip,  courage,"  she  appealed. 

Drew  shook  his  head. 

"  It's  too  late  to  head  it  off,"  he  replied.  "  I 
can't  prevent  it  now." 

"But  you  can  face  it  —  face  it  like  your  old 
undaunted  self!  Take  them  at  their  mocking 

D 

word  when  they  act  to-day.  Accept  their  nomi 
nation  —  " 

"  They  can't  force  me  to  take  it,"  he  flamed. 
"  They  may  nominate  me,  but  they  can't  force  me 
to  accept.  They  shall  not !  " 

"  Philip,  you  must  I  It's  the  one  way  out. 
You  must  face  them  unruffled  and  rob  their  tri- 


364  THE    MASTERY 

umph  of  its  sweetness.  You  must  tell  the  sneering 
crew  that  you  accept,  and  do  it  with  a  smile.  Tell 
them  that  as  theirs  is  the  responsibility  to-day, 
so  will  the  party  look  to  them  and  hold  them 
accountable  in  November.  Do  you  think  they'll 
dare  play  you  false  ?  It  is  Maddox's  pride  to  roll 
up  his  big  city  majorities  for  the  state  ticket,  and 
he'll  do  it  for  you.  It's  the  state  at  large  he 
counts  upon  to  defeat  you,  and  it's  the  state  I  be 
lieve  you  can  win.  Begin  the  campaign  to-day, 
Philip,  and  fight,  fight  —  fight  till  you  drop  !" 

"You  speak  as  if — "  Drew  paused  as  the 
hand  in  his  trembled.  "  Katherine  !  " 

"  Yes,  this  is  my  battle  too,"  she  avowed  swiftly. 
"I  would  have  you  go  forth  as  the  man  I  love 
above  all  the  world  should  go  —  as  my  chosen 
husband  should  go." 

McQuade  bolted  in  from  the  anteroom,  blun 
dering  upon  them  with  an  embarrassment  far 
greater  than  their  own. 

"  Excuse  me  f 'r  intherruptin'  your  pressin' 
business,"  he  said,  "but  th'  convention's  due  in 
forty-five  minutes  and  here's  forty-'leven  states 
men  as  says  they  must  speak  with  ye  b'fore." 

"There's  just  time  to  get  a  little  lunch  with 
Harriet,"  Dick  announced  as  he  piloted  Katherine 
outdoors.  "  But,  Holy  Smoke  !  "  he  exclaimed, 


THE    MASTERY  365 

halting  in  his  tracks.  "  Have  you  even  had 
breakfast?  I've  just  remembered  that  your  train 
doesn't  carry  so  much  as  a  buffet." 

Katherine  turned  upon  him  a  shining  pair  of 
eyes. 

"  Breakfast  ?  "  she  said.     "  I  forget." 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

THE  convention  was  wheedling  an  encore  from 
a  band  in  the  balcony  when  Dick  brought  his  wife 
and  Katherine  into  their  box.  The  floor  of  the 
music  hall  was  already  crowded  with  delegates  and 
the  stage  was  filling  with  officials  and  prominent 
guests.  Dick  got  instant  recognition  along  the 
untidy  tables  of  the  press  which  choked  all  the 
orchestra  space,  and  one  or  two  of  his  fellow- 
workers  made  jocular  pantomime  of  devoting  long 
paragraphs  to  his  distinguished  presence. 

"  But  they'll  not  ?  "  Harriet  asked  anxiously  as 
her  husband  interpreted. 

"  I  couldn't  say,"  Dick  teased,  his  news-gather 
ing  eye  taking  in  the  scene  from  the  topmost 
gallery  to  the  confusion  of  the  pit.  "  Our  arrival 
is  certainly  making  a  sensation.  Can  it  be, 
though,"  he  went  on,  "  that  this  stir  is  really 
caused  by  James  Y.  Redfern  ? " 

The  cheers  which  hailed  the  orator's  majestic 
progress  swelled  abruptly  to  a  deafening  yell  as 
the  Manhattan  delegation  sighted  the  stocky  fig- 

366 


THE    MASTERY  367 

ure  following  just  behind,  and  a  red-and-gold 
bandmaster  with  a  Kaiser  Wilhelm  mustache, 
who  had  risked  life  and  limb  to  peer  over  the 
balcony  rail,  began  threshing  madly  with  his 
baton. 

"'The  Star-Spangled  Banner'  for  Maddox !  " 
Dick  ejaculated.  "  I  wish  McQuade's  back 
wasn't  turned.  I'd  like  to  see  his  expression." 

The  two  girls  intently  studied  the  man  who 
caused  all  this  commotion  as  he  walked  phleg- 
matically  to  his  seat  in  the  great  metropolitan 
delegation  which  massed  the  front  and  centre  of 
the  parquet. 

"  Why,  he  looks  like  a  benevolent  family  doc 
tor,"  cried  Harriet. 

"  Did  you  expect  horns  and  a  tail  ? "  Dick 
demanded.  "  I  wonder  if  you  notice  how  the 
feeling  of  this  being  a  pitched  battle  between 
city  and  country  affects  even  the  applause  ?  It's 
New  York  and  Brooklyn  making  the  bulk  of  the 
noise.  Hello  !  "  he  added,  "  Redfern  has  taken 
a  seat  with  the  New  York  outfit.  I  guess  the 
air  of  Lafayette  County  strikes  him  as  too  chilly." 

"  Where  is  the  Lafayette  delegation,  Dick  ? " 
asked  Katherine. 

"  Right  under  our  box  here." 

"  And  will  Philip  sit  with  them  ?  " 


368  THE    MASTERY 

"  He  surely  will,"  called  a  low  voice  from  the 
curtained  doorway  in  the  rear  of  the  box. 

"Philip  himself!"  exclaimed  Harriet,  spring 
ing  up.  "He  must  have  slipped  in  by  the  stage 
door." 

As  they  crowded  into  the  dusky  little  passage 
behind  the  portieres  to  speak  with  him,  Drew's 
glance  fathomed  Katherine's. 

"  Yes  ;  tell  them,"  she  answered. 

Dick  broke  into  a  laugh. 

"  If  it's  the  fact  that  you  children  have  kissed 
and  made  up,"  he  said,  "spare  your  breath." 

His  wife  rebuked  him  with  a  pinch  and  slipped 
an  arm  around  Katherine's  waist. 

Drew  took  punitive  measures  of  another  sort :  — 

"  Maybe  you've  also  guessed  that  Katherine 
could  give  the  Post-Messenger  the  biggest  con 
vention  c  beat '  of  this  decade  ?  " 

The  young  fellow's  news  instinct  was  instantly 
on  the  alert. 

"  Katherine,  you've  a  tip  on  the  nominee,"  he 
exclaimed.  "  Give  me  a  hint,  the  littlest  hint." 

"  Not  the  lift  of  an  eyelash,  Katherine,"  Drew 
interdicted.  "  Let  the  clever  young  person 
guess." 

The  tattoo  of  the  presiding  officer's  gavel  sent 
them  back  to  their  chairs,  and  under  cover  of 


THE   MASTERY  369 

the  ensuing  committee  reports  Drew  passed  out 
into  the  hall  and  tried  to  get  himself  quietly 
seated.  The  convention  boisterously  thwarted 
the  attempt. 

"  DREW !  "  bayed  a  deep-voiced  delegate, 
leaping  to  his  feet  in  one  of  the  side  aisles. 
"  Hip,  hip,  hurrah  !  " 

The  cry  found  a  thousand  echoes,  and  the 
red-and-gold  bandmaster  atoned  for  his  apparent 
Maddox  bias  by  most  violent  contortions  as  he 
brought  forth  "  Hail  to  the  Chief."  All  the  jubi 
lant  triumph  of  the  up-state  men  in  their  leader's 
tactical  successes  leaped  to  their  throats  in  a 
mighty  roar  which  was  as  much  a  defiance  to 
Maddox  as  a  welcome  to  Drew.  Then  the  out 
burst  received  a  singular  reenforcement,  which  one 
of  the  little  group  in  the  right-hand  stage  box 
was  the  first  to  remark.  Katherine's  companions 
had  their  eyes  fixed  upon  the  man  beneath  who 
with  a  deprecating  gesture  tried  to  still  the  storm  ; 
but  she,  eagerly  watching  the  convention,  hit  upon 
the  discovery  that  the  metropolitan  delegates 
had  begun  cheering  too,  Maddox  himself  setting 
the  example. 

The  applause  flickered  out  as  Drew  summarily 
turned  his  back  and  sat  down.  The  committee 
reports  went  briskly  forward,  and  a  large  man  who 

2B 


370  THE    MASTERY 

rolled  his  r's  lovingly  did  elocutionary  justice  to 
the  strong  planks  of  the  platform.  These  for 
malities  did  not  hold  the  audience,  but  everybody 
sat  up  when  a  delegate  who  was  obviously  some 
body  arose  in  his  place  and  moved  that  the 
convention  now  proceed  to  the  nomination  of 
candidates  for  governor. 

"  Dick,"  petitioned  Harriet,  "  who  will  it  be  ?  " 

"Ask  that  famous  politician  at    your  elbow," 

Harris    retorted    with    an    air    of  injury,   but    as 

Katherine  bore  herself  without  offence,  he  delivered 

his  opinion  that  the  choice  would  fall  upon  some 

lukewarm  up-state  man  who  took  a  decided  stand 

with  neither  faction.    "  Colonel  Brown  of  Jefferson 

County  is  of  that  stripe,"  he  said,  "  and  last  night 

developed  more  or  less  sentiment  for  Zimmerman 

of  Wyoming.      I  hear  also  that  Albany  means  to 

put    forward  Judge  Howard,   one  of  Spedding's 

old  guard.      None  of  them  are  anxious  to  lead  a 

forlorn  hope,  but   they  would  make   the  run  and 

trust  for  their  reward  in  some  rosier  hereafter." 

Katherine  turned  at  his  last  words. 

"  Do  you  really  think  it  so  hopeless,  Dick  ?  " 

"  They're  simply  casting  lots    for    a    sacrifice. 

To-day's    nominee,  in    my    opinion,  will    lead    a 

funeral  procession  up    Salt  River.     There  are  a 

dozen   candidates  for  every   place    on    the   other 


THE    MASTERY  371 

people's  ticket,  and  they're  already  wondering 
whom  they'll  send  to  the  United  States  Senate 
when  the  glad  time  rolls  round." 

"  But  the  ringing  platform  they  just  read," 
Harriet  put  in,  "  and  the  confident  speeches  ! " 

"  S-sh,  you  babe  in  the  woods,"  Dick  returned. 
"  The  roll-call's  begun." 

As  the  secretary  called  "  Albany  "  one  of  Dick's 
predictions  came  true.  A  delegate  placed  Judge 
Howard  in  nomination,  extolling  his  virtues  in  a 
prosy  speech  which,  as  one  gallery  auditor  pierc 
ingly  remarked,  began  at  the  Flood  and  skipped 
nothing  to  date  of  issue. 

"  I  trust  he'll  wind  up  before  the  polls  close," 
Dick  yawned. 

"  There,"  exulted  Harriet,  "  he's  down." 

The  bored  convention  stretched  itself  and  pre 
pared  for  further  eulogies  of  local  prodigies. 

"  Allegany  ?  "  called  the  secretary. 

"  Allegany  County  yields  its  time  to  New 
York,"  sung  out  an  embarrassed  rural  chairman 
whose  eight-word  speech  seemed  to  choke  him. 

The  flurry  caused  by  this  halting  announce 
ment  bloomed  a  full-grown  sensation  as  Redfern 
was  seen  to  rise  from  his  seat  beside  Maddox. 

"  Mr.  Chairman,"  he  began,  his  great  voice 
enunciating  every  syllable,  "  by  courtesy  of 


372  THE   MASTERY 

Allegany,  by  request  of  New  York,  and  with,  I 
venture  to  hope,  the  cordial  assent  of  my  own 
Lafayette,  I  have  the  honor  to  propose  a  name 
which  the  logic  of  events  should  spontaneously 
suggest  to  the  mind  of  every  delegate  in  this 
enlightened,  this  untrammelled,  this  unbossed 
convention." 

Cries  of  "  platform  "  interrupted  him.  Red- 
fern  declined  to  mount  the  rostrum,  but  he  did 
stride  to  the  makeshift  steps  which  at  the  side 
toward  Katherine's  box  gave  access  to  the  stage, 
and,  standing  halfway  up  the  flight,  paused  while 
the  weight  of  his  showy  personality  worked  its 
customary  magic  with  the  crowd.  Then,  sud 
denly  flinging  out  his  hand  in  a  dramatic  gesture 
toward  the  quiet  figure  immediately  below,  he 
cried :  — 

"  There  sits  our  choice  !  The  man  we  cheered 
to  the  echo  as  he  came  among  us  —  the  idol  of 
his  party  —  the  terror  of  his  political  foes  —  our 
logical  nominee,  Philip  Drew  !  " 

His  words  seemed  to  spring  a  hidden  mine 
in  the  Manhattan  delegation  whose  cheers  fired 
their  shouters  of  the  galleries  wherever  seated, 
and  then  by  sheer  mob  contagion  swept  group 
after  group  of  up-state  men  into  a  frantic  .un 
reasoning  delirium  of  acclaim. 


THE    MASTERY  373 

"  It's  a  stampede  they're  trying !  "  Dick 
shouted.  "  See  Philip  now  !  " 

Katherine  had  been  proudly  seeing  nothing 
save  Philip  since  the  tempest  began.  It  was 
for  this  moment  of  supreme  irony  that  Redfern 
had  bided  his  time,  but  as  he  looked  upon  Drew 
his  revenge  lost  its  savor  and  he  ceased  to  gloat. 
His  victim  was  listening  with  an  air  of  amused 
interest,  his  lips  parted  in  a  tantalizing  smile. 
Where  all  else  was  tumult  he  was  serene.  Red- 
fern's  forehead  knotted  in  a  scowl. 

"  Our  opponents  say  we  are  divided  against 
ourselves,"  he  bellowed  at  the  first  lull.  "  They 
point  the  derisive  finger.  They  taunt  us  with 
factional  strife.  They  distort  our  honest  differ 
ences  into  civil  war.  They  charge  that  either  of 
our  honored  leaders  would  sink  his  party  to  per 
dition  rather  than  abate  one  jot  or  tittle  of  his 
personal  ambition.  Gentlemen  of  the  conven 
tion,  I  adjure  you  fling  this  slander  in  their  teeth. 
Make  such  an  answer  here  to-day  as  shall  wit 
ness  our  unity  and  bring  their  gibes  to  confusion. 
Give  them  the  lie  —  the  absolute,  downright, 
defiant  lie  !  Name  Philip  Drew  !  " 

For  a  long  moment,  while  the  convention 
thundered  its  delight,  he  held  out  his  hands  to 
Drew  in  a  mute  apostrophe  which  that  gentleman 


374  THE    MASTERY 

greeted  with  the  same  cheerful  attention  he  might 
bestow  upon  a  diverting  comedian.  When  rela 
tive  quiet  came  Drew  requested  a  hearing,  but 
the  conspirators  had  taken  care  that  the  perma 
nent  chairman  should  be  of  their  choosing,  and 
this  bland  personage  bade  the  secretary  proceed 
with  the  calling  of  the  roll. 

"  Broome  ?  "  shouted  that  official. 

"  Broome  County  seconds  the  nomination  of 
Philip  Drew,"  plumped  out  an  excited  county 
chairman  whom  most  men  supposed  one  of  the 
stanchest  anti-Maddox  men  in  the  state. 

By  this  time  Drew  gained  the  platform,  and 
presenting  himself  squarely  before  the  chairman, 
compelled  his  reluctant  notice. 

"  I  appreciate  the  high  compliment  some  of 
you  would  pay  me,"  he  stated  simply,  when  they 
hushed  to  listen,  "  but  this  use  of  my  name  is 
wholly  unauthorized.  I  am  a  candidate  for  no 
office  to  which  this  convention  has  power  to 
nominate.  Thank  you,  gentlemen." 

A  swelling  roar  of  dissent  greeted  his  refusal, 
and  as  he  descended  men  surged  forward  to  plead 
with  him,  jostling  the  press  tables  and  storming 
the  platform  steps. 

"  The  secretary  will  continue  the  roll-call," 
directed  the  unruffled  chairman. 


THE    MASTERY  375 

"  Cattaraugus  ? " 

"  Cattaraugus  is  for  Drew,"  came  the  answer. 

"  Cayuga?" 

"  Drew !  " 

"  Chautauqua  ? " 

"  Drew ! " 

"  Chemung  ?  " 

"  Chemung  is  for  Drew  and  harmony ! "  a 
delegate  varied  the  fast  stereotyping  formula  and 
leaped  to  a  dizzy  newspaper  eminence  forthwith. 

When,  in  due  course,  the  heavy  reinforcements 
from  Erie  and  Kings  swung  into  line,  the  con 
vention  knew  the  certain  issue  of  the  roll-call  and 
surrendered  itself  to  the  mental  debauch  of  the 
stampede.  Maddox  men  and  Drew  men  paraded 
the  aisles  with  arms  interlocked.  The  band 
master,  with  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  mustache, 
hammered  out  something  —  nobody  knew  what. 
Canes,  umbrellas,  and  head-gear  rilled  the  air; 
and  in  one  of  the  upper  proscenium  boxes  a 
stout  female  pillaged  a  flag  from  the  decorations 
and  shook  it  like  a  tablecloth  over  the  rail. 

In  one  quarter,  however,  a  breathless  tension 
prevailed.  Almost  within  touch  of  Katherine's 
hand  had  Redfern  fulmined  and  Drew  been  over 
whelmed  by  plausible  enemies  and  foolish  friends. 
No  word  or  look  of  Drew's  escaped  her,  and 


376  THE    MASTERY 

once,  as  he  shook  off  his  goading  counsellors  and 
passed  to  his  seat,  his  eyes  had  met  hers ;  but  in 
some  subtle,  baffling  way  he  seemed  to  move  in  a 
world  apart.  He  was  no  longer  simply  her  lover 
whom  she  had  helped  meet  this  crisis  undis 
mayed  ;  he  was  the  personage,  the  storm-centre 
of  a  scene  of  moment  to  the  commonwealth,  and 
there  encompassed  him  the  distinction  of  the  his 
toric.  She  knew  that  her  father's  presence  had 
wrought  precisely  this  spell  upon  thousands, 
though  she  herself  had  gone  untouched ;  it 
thrilled,  bewildered,  and  subdued  her  to  find  it 
potent  in  Philip  Drew. 

There  were  moments  during  the  stampede 
when  Maddox,  roused  from  his  usual  apathy, 
wore  the  look  of  a  man  who  unchains  a  force 
whose  energy  he  has  misprized ;  but  as  the 
last  county  chairman  responded,  he  rose  and, 
waiting  till  the  crowd  had  howled  itself  to  a 
speechless  hysteria,  deliberately  moved  that  the 
convention  signify  its  choice  by  acclamation. 
Then  Albany,  withdrawing  its  candidate,  —  whom 
everyone  had  forgotten,  —  hurriedly  seconded  his 
proposal.  A  moment  later  the  voice  of  the  great 
throng  swelled  to  its  full  diapason,  and  Philip 
Drew  knew  himself  this  enlightened,  untram 
melled,  unbossed  convention's  nominee  for  the 
highest  office  in  the  state. 


THE    MASTERY  377 

Then  the  great  New  York  boss  and  his  chuck 
ling  followers  found  themselves  listening  meekly 
to  bewildering  words  from  the  man  they  had 
loaded  with  mock  honors  and  elevated  only  to 
destroy.  He  had  thanked  the  convention,  ac 
cepting  its  decision,  and  was  now  confronting  the 
metropolitan  delegates,  his  eyes  looking  straight 
down  into  Maddox's. 

"  And  one  word  to  you,  gentlemen  of  New 
York,"  he  was  saying.  "  The  wisdom  or  unwis 
dom  of  this  nomination  is  your  own.  I  accept  for 
the  party  this  unsolicited  overture  for  peace,  and  I 
assume  to  speak  for  the  party  when  I  say  that  the 
burden  of  proving  our  unity  lies  at  your  door. 
Make  no  mistake.  We  look  to  you  to  back  up 
your  promise  with  performance.  To-day's  work 
is  your  work.  To-morrow's  responsibility  will  be 
your  responsibility." 

There  was  absolute  silence  for  the  space  of  a 
dozen  seconds.  Then  the  convention  surged 
wildly  to  its  feet  and  hailed  his  audacity  with 
cheer  on  cheer.  It  was  another,  a  spontaneous, 
stampede. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

DURING  the  calmer  hours  after  the  convention 
had  completed  its  ticket  and  adjourned,  doubters 
came  to  tell  Drew  that  he  had  acted  rashly.  He 
laughed  at  these  timid  souls.  His  head  no  less 
than  his  heart  proclaimed  Katherine's  saving 
counsel  right.  The  time  for  compromise  had 
passed.  The  appeal  was  to  the  people,  and  he 
had  spoken  out  so  that  his  every  judge  might 
hear. 

"  It  was  your  speech,  Katherine,"  he  told  her 
at  nightfall  in  Dick's  home.  "  Even  if  I  lose  the 
election,  I  shall  have  nothing  to  regret." 

"You  will  win." 

"  I  have  won,"  he  insisted,  and  claimed  a 
victor's  spoils. 

"  No,  but  the  greater  victory,"  she  protested 
when  she  could.  "  Our  love  mustn't  be  a  handi 
cap,  Philip.  Perhaps,  after  all,  it  would  be  wiser 
to  wait  until  — " 

"  Wait !  "  Drew  ejaculated.  "  After  you've 
wired  the  admiral,  and  I've  seen  the  clergyman, 
and  Dick  has  bought  the  ring,  and  Harriet's  set- 

378 


THE   MASTERY  379 

tied  the  dress  problem  !  No,  no,  my  lady  Will- 
and-Wont !  You  promised  at  the  Algonquin 
that  we'd  fight  this  through  shoulder  to  shoulder, 
and  to-morrow  they'll  swear  us  in.  There's  no 
deserting  now." 

"  I  wouldn't  if  I  could,"  she  admitted.  "  I 
wonder,  though,"  she  added  a  little  wistfully,  "  if 
I  shall  be  the  first  woman  to  spend  her  honey 
moon  in  a  whirlwind  campaign." 

Drew's  dramatic  nomination,  the  swiftly  ensu 
ing  news  of  his  marriage,  and  his  immediate 
return  to  New  York  where  he  undertook  the 
management  of  his  own  canvass,  cast  upon  him 
and  his  the  glare  of  a  publicity  which  respected 
neither  time,  place,  nor  person.  He  would  have 
drawn  a  hard-and-fast  line  between  his  public  and 
his  private  life  had  it  been  possible,  but  there  was 
a  growing  number  of  men  whom  he  must  meet 
on  a  more  social  footing  than  the  state  chairman's 
room  at  headquarters,  and  it  resulted  that  he  and 
his  wife  seldom  found  themselves  alone. 

Katherine  spared  herself  nothing  to  lighten 
Drew's  task,  spent  herself  as  freely  for  the  bores 
as  the  clever,  and  contrived  to  laugh  when  it 
would  have  often  been  easier  to  cry  at  the 
romancings  of  a  press  which  paid  her  almost  the 
honors  of  a  candidate.  She  saw  herself  attributed 


380  THE    MASTERY 

with  incredible  girlhood  precocities;  witticisms 
of  her  Washington  days  she  had  never  coined ; 
impossible  hob-nobbings  with  royalty  abroad, 
and  an  extraordinary  list  of  conquests  at  home  ; 
besides  numberless  sayings,  doings,  gowns  and 
millinery  "creations"  of  the  present  hour  which 
had  all  the  freshness  of  complete  novelty  and 
the  ring  of  inspired  truth. 

But  her  pathway  was  rose-strewn  beside 
Drew's.  In  one  of  their  rare  moments  of  pri 
vacy  he  catalogued  the  ordeal  of  a  single  day. 

"  I  have  gone  through  a  stack  of  personal  mail 
a  foot  high,"  he  said,  "  received  five  county  chair 
men  and  some  twenty  odd  other  callers,  repudiated 
two  bogus  interviews  and  a  silly  defiance  to 
Maddox,  nailed  a  canard  about  that  Albany  affair 
of  Dick's,  harmonized  an  up-state  quarrel,  dodged 
a  crank  who  said  he  was  John  the  Baptist  or 
Jonah,  I  forget  which,  and  incidentally  raised  a 
few  thousand  dollars  for  the  campaign  fund.  I 
think  that's  about  all." 

"  Not  quite,"  laughed  his  wife.  "  Both  Puck 
and  Judge  have  new  cartoons,  and  one  of  the 
morning  papers  gave  a  frightful  snap-shot  picture 
of  you  addressing  that  business-men's  meeting 
yesterday.  Your  mouth  is  open,  and  you're 
scowling  horribly." 


THE    MASTERY  381 

Drew  smiled,  but  presently  went  grave. 

"  I  must  have  been  thinking  of  that  strike 
up  state,"  he  said. 

"You  mean  the  worst  one  —  the  one  where 
they  dynamited  a  street  car  and  the  governor  sent 
troops  ? " 

"  Yes ;  the  Adirondack  &  Southwestern  Trac 
tion  Company  trouble.  It's  politics  which  has 
kept  that  strike  alive.  The  men  have  been  led 
somehow  to  believe  that  if  they  hold  out,  I  shall  be 
frightened  into  begging  their  management  to  yield." 

"  You  never  told  me  that  before  !  " 

"  I  didn't  want  to  worry  you  with  mere  suspi 
cions  ;  the  facts  have  only  just  come  to  light. 
The  strikers  had  a  real  grievance  at  the  outset, 
poor  devils,  but  they've  put  themselves  in  the 
wrong  by  their  riots.  They've  thrown  away 
their  advantage  by  listening  to  agitators  who  are 
in  Maddox's  pay." 

"  In  Maddox's  pay  !     Are  you  sure  ?" 

"  Tolerably.  We've  had  detectives  on  the 
ground.  I'm  sorry  for  the  men.  In  all  con 
science  isn't  the  portion  of  Labor  heavy  enough 
without  the  added  yoke  of  the  demagogue?  This 
chicane  has  been  carried  on  through  politicians 
on  the  other  side,  but  the  trail  leads  home  to 
Maddox.  I  tell  you  the  man  is  at  his  wits'  end 


382  THE    MASTERY 

since  the  financial  sky  has  begun  to  clear.  He 
feels  the  tide  setting  our  way.  Why,  Katherine, 
they  flung  ticker-tape  from  the  windows  in  Wall 
Street  yesterday  when  I  drove  through  to  that 
meeting !  The  curb  brokers  started  the  hurrah, 
and  the  office  windows  filled  like  magic.  They've 
not  had  the  heart  for  such  fooling  in  months. 
But  this  is  wormwood  to  Maddox.  All  the  cam 
paign  rubbish  about  my  being  a  railroad  magnate 
and  a  trust  promoter  has  been  his  meat  and  drink 
and  this  prolonged  strike  his  chief  resource." 

"  He's  hoped  it  would  spread  to  Lafayette 
County,  of  course?" 

"  Not  only  hoped,  but  worked.  His  agents 
have  done  their  utmost  to  involve  the  Valley  sys 
tem.  Our  men  have  laughed  at  them.  They 
know  that  they've  had  whiter  treatment  than  any 
street-railway  employees  in  the  United  States. 
That's  something  Maddox  didn't  take  into  ac 
count.  Another  thing  he  didn't  know  is  that 
every  car  starter  or  other  employee  we've  put  in  a 
position  of  influence  has  not  only  been  a  sound 
railway  man,  but  a  sound  party  man  too." 

His  remark  gave  Katherine  one  of  many 
glimpses  into  the  bewildering  maze  of  the  party 
organization  as  he  had  perfected  it.  By  compari 
son  Spedding's  chain  of  country  editors  and  other 


THE    MASTERY  383 

time-hallowed  devices  seemed  a  primitive  mechan 
ism  indeed,  and  as  she  reflected  that  besides  the 
faculty  of  organization,  which  had  made  him  what 
he  was,  Drew  had  a  tongue  to  persuade  and  a 
simple  friendliness  that  won  men's  hearts  —  and, 
for  that  matter,  women's  hearts  also  !  —  she  could 
brook  no  doubt  of  November's  verdict. 

This  hope  strengthened  daily  as  during  the  last 
fortnight  of  all  they  whirled  up  and  down  the 
state  by  special  train.  Drew  would  have  spared 
her  this  phase  of  which  she  could  be  little  more 
than  a  spectator,  but  she  reminded  him  that  she 
had  enlisted  for  the  whole  war  and  set  about  per 
suading  Mrs.  Austin  to  bear  her  company.  Her 
aunt  promised  for  a  part  of  the  journey,  though 
the  admiral  could  not  be  enticed,  while  Harriet 
agreed  to  intrust  the  twins  to  their  maternal 
grandmother  and  join  the  campaigners  for  the  last 
fevered  week.  One  of  Drew's  stenographer's 
from  headquarters,  and  the  press  correspondents, 
completed  the  regular  party,  to  which  were  added 
transient  county  chairmen  and  state  committeemen 
from  place  to  place.  To  the  man  whose  whole 
experience  had  been  a  school  for  this  emergency, 
the  journey's  demands  did  not  seem  extraordi 
nary,  but  to  the  small  group  watching  him  at 
close  range  Drew  was  a  continual  surprise.  They 


384  THE    MASTERY 

marvelled  at  his  facile  recollection  of  names  and 
places,  at  his  local  allusions  and  apt  retorts,  at  the 
signs  of  his  popularity  with  the  ever  changing 
crowd,  at  his  grip  everywhere  upon  the  younger 
men  of  the  state,  and,  most  of  all,  at  the  bound 
less  energy  which  carried  him  all  day  through 
speeches  from  the  train's  rear  platform  and  yet 
left  him  fresh  for  the  elaborate  mass-meetings  at 
night. 

When  the  last  week  began,  Drew  had  rounded 
his  westernmost  point  and  was  swinging  homeward 
along  the  line  of  the  canal  cities  with  here  and 
there  a  digression  into  the  interior  lake  country 
or  a  dash  toward  Ontario  or  the  St.  Lawrence. 
Mrs.  Austin  had  rejoined  her  admiral,  Harriet 
filling  her  place,  and  Dick  was  expected  to  board 
the  special  at  some  as  yet  indefinite  stop  a  day  or 
two  beyond.  The  crowds  about  the  train's  end 
increased  from  station  to  station,  the  meetings  in 
the  cities  were  nightly  more  enthusiastic,  and  even 
the  reports  of  managers  in  partly  Maddoxized 
districts  took  on  a  hopeful  hue.  The  entire 
stock  in  trade  of  Drew's  rival  for  the  governor- 

o 

ship  was  a  calamity  platform  which  Nature  and 
the  iron  laws  of  economics  were  inexorably  set 
ting  at  naught.  The  end  of  the  lean  years 
was  manifestly  at  hand,  and  as  the  illogical 


THE    MASTERY  385 

many  had  blamed  the  ruling  party  with  the  hard 
times,  so  now  they  gave  it  credit  for  recurring 
prosperity. 

Dick  climbed  aboard  one  afternoon  out  of  a 
crowd  where  nobody  dreamed  of  seeing  him, 
and  at  an  opportune  moment  between  stations 
beckoned  Drew  aside. 

"  Philip,"  he  said  anxiously,  "  I  would  cut  out 
the  next  stop  if  I  were  you." 

"  Cut  Thermopylae  !  Why  do  you  advise 
that  ?  " 

"  Haven't  you  seen  this  morning's  papers  ?  " 

"  A  few  minutes  at  breakfast,  mainly  to  get 
ammunition  from  the  other  fellow's  speeches. 
He's  a  mine  of  suggestion." 

"  You  read  nothing  about  the  Adirondack  & 
Southwestern  strikers  ?  " 

"  More  riots  ?  " 

"  They  shot  at  a  scab  motorman  just  outside 
Thermopylae  yesterday  afternoon  and  later  burned 
a  bridge.  A  few  days  ago  we  put  a  special 
correspondent  into  that  territory,  and  last  night 
he  wired  me  that  they  were  threatening  trouble 
for  you.  Instead  of  going  up  the  road  to  join 
you  as  I'd  planned,  I  struck  a  bee-line  for  Ther 
mopylae,  which  I  left  this  forenoon  just  in  time  to 
intercept  you  here.  Don't  speak  there,  Philip. 

2C 


386  THE    MASTERY 

The  town  is  full  of  drunken  roughs  who  screen 
themselves  behind  the  strikers." 

Drew  took  a  soiled  sheet  of  letter-paper  from 
his  pocket  as  he  listened. 

"  I  understand  this  better  now,"  he  remarked 
quietly. 

"What's  that  thing?" 

"  An  anonymous  letter.      Dip  into  it.' 

Harris  ran  it  through,  his  eyes  widening  as  he 
read. 

"  The  curs  !  "  he  cried.  "  What  are  you  to 
do?" 

"  Do  !  I'm  going  to  read  that  letter  to  my 
audience  in  Thermopylae." 

"  You'll  speak  there,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  be  worth  my  salt  if  I  backed 
down.  It's  the  Maddox  heelers  who  sent  that 
warning.  They  want  to  see  me  cut  out  Ther 
mopylae,  just  as  you  advise,  and  then  brand  me 
a  coward  for  doing  it.  I'll  show  them  that  they 
have  barked  up  the  wrong  tree." 

"  By  George,  you're  right !  "  said  the  nephew. 
"  Does  Katherine  know  ?  " 

"  There's  little  we  don't  share,  boy,"  Drew 
answered,  his  black  look  vanishing.  "  She's  a 
whole  regiment  at  my  back !  Yes,  Katherine 
knows  what  I  intend  doing,  and  she  approves." 


THE    MASTERY  387 

The  sear  fields  of  the  autumn  landscape  were 
giving  way  to  garden  plots  and  the  bedraggled  out 
skirts  of  a  factory  town.  The  engine  whistled. 

"  Thermopylae  !  "  Dick  muttered,  and  squared 
his  shoulders.  "  Well,  whatever  turns  up,  I 
mean  to  be  in  the  rush-line  of  this  historic  scrap." 

"  You'll  do  me  a  better  service  if  you'll  under 
take  to  keep  your  wife  and  Katherine  out  of  pos 
sible  harm's  way,  though  candidly  I  don't  expect 
those  threatening  whelps  to  lift  a  finger." 

Dick's  face  lengthened. 

"  I  say,"  he  expostulated.  "  Somebody's  got 
to  look  after  you." 

"  Oh,  I  shan't  be  lonesome,"  Drew  answered 
cheerfully.  "There'll  be  the  reception  committee 
and  the  newspaper  boys,  not  to  mention  the 
crowd." 

When  Dick  had  taken  his  disconsolate  way 
toward  the  women,  Drew  suddenly  felt  his  wife's 
arm  slip  round  his  neck. 

"  Oh,  but  this  won't  do,  Katherine  girl,"  he 
protested.  "  We're  nearly  there  and  Harriet  —  " 

"  I'm  going  back  directly,"  she  murmured. 
"  I  wanted  you  to  feel  —  to  know —  oh,  it's  silly 
to  be  afraid,  but  if  anything  should  happen,  why, 
I  --  I  love  you,  Philip,  I  love  you  so  ;  "  and  with 
a  kiss  she  was  gone. 


388  THE    MASTERY 

Drew  went  immediately  into  the  observation 
compartment  where  the  reporters  were  grouped, 
and  a  moment  later  was  shaking  hands  with  the 
Thermopylae  committee  whom  he  followed  to  the 
platform,  and  a  boisterous  reception  in  which  his 
ear  detected  catcalls  intermingled  with  the  cheers. 
Massed  most  densely  about  the  train's  end,  the 
crowd  stretched  far  down  the  tracks  and  even 
banked  a  line  of  freight-cars  strung  along  a 
siding.  It  looked  harmless  in  bulk,  but,  as  one 
of  the  local  politicians  made  the  superfluous  in 
troduction,  Drew  here  and  there  singled  out  a 
sullen  or  a  vicious  face. 

"  I  received  a  letter  this  morning  which  ought 
to  interest  this  audience,"  he  began  without  pre 
liminaries.  "  It  is  post-marked  '  Thermopylae,' 
is  undated,  and,  I  regret  to  say,  unsigned :  — 

" '  If  you  know  whats  helthy  for  you  mister  Money  Bags  Drew 
you  wont  make  no  Speach  in  Thermopylas  !  Us  folks  has  got 
our  Bellyful  of  street-car  Magnets  and  aint  much  particklar  what 
we  does.  We  dinamited  I  Car  —  lookout  for  yourn  !  KEEP 
OUT  !  !  !'" 

A  profound  quiet  reigned  while  Drew  slowly 
tore  the  paper  to  bits  which  he  dropped  con 
temptuously  to  the  ground. 

"  I'm  here,"  he  commented  tersely. 


THE    MASTERY  389 

They  applauded  him  so  stormily  and  so  long 
that  Harriet's  curiosity  defeated  Dick's  and 
Katherine's  nervous  artifices  to  keep  her  in  the 
dark,  and  drew  them  following  after,  convinced 
that  the  battle  of  Thermopylae  was  won. 

"  I  refuse  to  believe  that  this  scurvy  threat 
represents  the  sentiment  of  this  or  any  other 
American  community,"  Drew  went  on.  "  I 
refuse  to  believe  furthermore  that  it  voices  the 
average  judgment  of  the  striking  railway  em 
ployees.  Labor's  substantial  victories  have  never 
been  won  by  riot,  dynamite,  and  the  torch. 
Neither  will  any  political  party  gain  by  abetting 
anarchy.  If  Labor  is  to  come  by  its  just  due, — 
and  though  no  socialist,  I  believe  that  day  will 
dawn,  —  it  will  not  be  through  brickbats.  If  I, 
who  have  known  what  it  means  to  work  with  the 
hands,  am  adjudged  unfit  to  be  governor  of  this 
state,  Labor  has  its  easy  remedy.  Vote  me  down 
if  you  will.  Intimidate  me  you  cannot." 

They  cheered  him  to  the  echo  as  he  paused, 
but  there  were  jeers  too. 

"  Vote  him  down  and  knock  him  down ! " 
yelled  a  voice. 

Drew  whirled  to  identify  the  speaker  but  a 
nearer  menace  caught  his  eye. 

"  Drop  that  stone,  you  loafer,"  he  called,  level- 


390  THE    MASTERY 

ling  his  finger  at  a  rough  slouching  beside  a  sema 
phore.     "  Drop  that  stone  !  " 

The  fellow's  fingers  relaxed,  and  the  bystanders 
falling  upon  him  with  cuffs  and  kicks,  he  dodged 
from  sight.  An  instant  later  he  was  forgotten. 
A  shower  of  missiles  from  the  freight-cars  rained 
upon  the  platform  around  Drew  who  was  seen  to 
reel  and  fall. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV 

ELECTION  DAY  was  of  an  Indian  summer  mild 
ness,  and  as  Drew  stood  upon  the  upper  terrace 
of"  The  Beeches  "  he  could  almost  fancy  the  scene 
unchanged  from  the  day  of  his  first  coming  three 
years  since.  The  haze  hovered  over  Wolf's 
Head  as  then ;  the  Hudson  seemed  unaltered ; 
autumn  lavished  the  same  pigments  upon  the 
hills,  the  crescent  shore,  the  garden  —  upon  the  ivy 
which  scaled  the  dwelling's  gray  walls  and  fingered 
the  leaded  panes.  A  little  boat,  skimming  the 
river  as  lightly  as  a  gull  which  stooped  begging  in 
its  wake,  might  easily  be  that  of  a  girlish  care-free 
Katherine,  with  her  griefs,  her  joys,  her  love  for 
him,  all  in  the  future.  Then  a  twinge  in  his 
bandaged  arm  bridged  past  and  present,  and 
Katherine  herself  came  to  supplant  the  virginal 
figure  of  his  memories. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  greeted  her,  "  if  it  weren't 
for  my  broken  arm,  I'd  have  the  cat-boat  out  ? 
We  would  beat  to  Wolf's  Head,  hunt  up  the 
spot  where  we  went  overboard  in  the  gale,  and 


392  THE    MASTERY 

run  home  by  way  of  the  little  cove  where  the 
unhappy  castaways  drifted  ashore." 

They  exchanged  a  long  look  of  perfect  under 
standing. 

"  It  will  do  me  good  to  row  you  over,"  Kath- 
erine  broke  the  silence.  "  I've  almost  forgotten 
how." 

"  It's  too  long  a  pull  for  one." 

"  Not  in  the  small  cedar  skiff." 

"  Even  with  the  skiff." 

"  We'll  compromise  on  the  cove.  You  know 
we  meant  to  loaf  somewhere  outdoors  till  sun 
down.  If  you  like,  we'll  fish.  The  bass  used  to 
bite  over  there  in  a  place  I  know.  P-1-e-a-s-e  !  " 

"  Then  let's,"  he  laughed,  meeting  her  mood. 
"  We've  been  quite  too  sedate  lately  for  a  bride 
and  groom.  If  you'll  forage  for  a  picnic  lunch, 
I'll  get  somebody  on  the  premises  to  dig  for 
bait." 

It  was  from  every  point  of  view  a  delectable 
excursion.  It  is  true  that  the  fish  neglected  to 
bite.  It  is  true  also  that  the  lunch-basket  fell  into 
the  river  during  an  episode  at  the  cove  which  is 
properly  no  part  of  this  history.  It  must  be  ad 
mitted,  too,  that  an  invisible  third  person  of  a 
cynical  turn  would  have  condemned  the  talk  as 
wholly  wanting  in  the  clearness,  force,  and  elegance 


THE    MASTERY  393 

which  rhetoricians  require  of  the  educated.  These 
several  drawbacks,  however,  were  more  apparent 
than  real.  The  unseemly  behavior  of  the  fish 
provoked  no  question  as  to  the  depth  of  Kathar 
ine's  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  bass;  the  luncheon 
which  in  final  salvage  was  found  to  consist  of  raw 
potatoes,  proved  everything  the  most  finical  palate 
could  ask  when  roasted  in  the  embers  of  a  drift 
wood  fire  upon  the  beach  ;  while  the  seemingly 
trivial  conversation  was  in  point  of  fact  a  medium 
of  expression  adequate  beyond  the  cynical  third 
person's  imaginings. 

As  the  sun  dipped  below  the  hills,  they  ree'm- 
barked  and  followed  the  bend  of  the  shore  yet  a 
little  farther  for  the  sake  of  the  copper  afterglow 
which  burnished  all  the  wide  reach  of  the  Hudson 
as  it  lay  tranquil  before  the  turning  of  the  tide. 
All  sounds  carried  with  bell-like  clearness.  From 
a  fleet  of  canal-boats  amid  stream  came  the  wail  of 
a  concertina ;  from  the  hills  the  bay  of  a  hound 
and  the  bleating  of  sheep  ;  a  lumber  wagon  be 
trayed  its  quality  long  before  it  reached  the  open 
stretch  of  public  highway  which  skirted  the  bank 
a  stone's  cast  away. 

"  Whoa !  "  said  the  driver,  with  a  sociable  in 
flection.  "  Good  evenin',  Governor  Drew." 

"  Good  evening  !  "   Drew  responded,  recogniz- 


394  THE   MASTERY 

ing  a  neighboring  farmer.  "  Aren't  you  a  trifle 
ahead  of  the  returns  ?  " 

"  Mebbe ;  but  I'd  bet  dollars  to  doughnuts 
it's  a  safe  guess.  That  there  bandage  on  your 
arm  was  the  great  vote-getter.  The  critter  who 
threw  that  brick  didn't  dream  he  was  electin'  a 
governor.  Good  night,  sir.  Hope  I'm  the  first 
to  congratulate  ?  " 

"  You  certainly  are,"  Drew  laughed.  "  Good 
night !  " 

Katherine  bent  silently  to  her  oars,  and  they 
sped  toward  "  The  Beeches,"  whose  gray  walls 
Drew  marked  each  minute  melt  deeper  into 
their  dusky  background.  Then  lights  began  to 
pick  out  the  dwelling's  outlines  ;  these  signifying 
the  library's  oriel,  those  the  hall,  others  his  wife's 
apartments  and  the  corner  he  had  come  already 
to  feel  peculiarly  his  own.  It  all  spelled  home 
to  the  man  who  had  built  and  razed  his  num 
berless  castles  in  the  air,  and  it  was  upon  this, 
his  home,  not  the  day's  great  lottery,  that  his 
thoughts  ran  to  the  measured  tick  of  the  row 
locks. 

It  was  otherwise  with  the  woman.  During  all 
the  day  they  had  been  content  to  leave  the  elec 
tion  and  its  issue  in  abeyance.  After  the  dust 
and  din  of  conflict,  the  hideous  moment  of  sus- 


THE    MASTERY  395 

pense  at  Thermopylae,  and  the  trying  days  next 
following,  which  —  doctor  or  no  doctor  —  Drew 
had  persisted  in  devoting  to  the  campaign's  last 
details,  the  peace  of"  The  Beeches  "  was  all-suffi 
cient.  Beyond  the  few  telegraphic  reports  which 
had  followed  them  here  yesterday,  politics  had 
not  intruded.  The  hail  of  the  farmer  in  the 
highway  was  the  battle's  first  echo,  but  it  was 
enough  to  fire  her  fancy  with  a  hundred  images. 
They  were  counting  the  votes  now  !  Through 
out  the  commonwealth,  from  the  Adirondacks  to 
the  Narrows,  from  the  sand  dunes  of  Long  Island 
to  the  thunder  of  Niagara,  they  were  unfolding 
the  ballots.  Men  of  homely  speech  were  swap 
ping  yarns  and  predictions  about  the  village 
polling-places ;  the  city  bulletins  were  gathering 
their  great  audience  of  the  year.  She  evoked  the 
metropolitan  throng  which  would  converge  upon 
Newspaper  Row,  and  flood  back  past  the  dark 
mass  of  the  post-office,  past  the  City  Hall,  past 
Nathan  Hale  glorying  in  his  martyrdom,  even 
to  Broadway.  Then  it  was  the  bulletin  of  an 
up-town  newspaper  building,  with  green-eyed, 
unwinking  bronze  owls  in  its  cornice,  a  blaze 
of  electric  theatre  signs  round  about,  the  elevated 
trains  roaring  overhead,  the  surface  cars  turning1 
a  slow  furrow  through  the  dense  pack  below. 


396  THE    MASTERY 

Again  it  was  Madison  Square,  with  its  rival  head 
quarters,  its  fireworks,  its  carnival  antics  and 
sounds,  its  serene  golden  goddess  of  the  tower 
indifferent  to  all. 

As  they  left  the  boat-house  and  climbed  the 
lawn,  she  suddenly  pressed  Drew's  uninjured  arm. 

"  There's  no  forgetting  now,"  she  said.  "  I've 
been  seeing  New  York,  its  election  crowds,  its 
lights  !  I  can  hardly  wait." 

"  Would  you  rather  we'd  stayed  in  New 
York  ? " 

"  And  missed  to-day  !  " 

"  Or  should  I  have  had  a  special  wire  run  over 
from  town,  brought  in  an  operator,  and  asked  a 
houseful  of  people  ?  " 

"No,  no,  it's  better  as  it  is — just  you  and  I, 
with  a  single  telephone  message  from  headquarters 
when  they  really  know.  I  wouldn't  have  it  dif 
ferent  to-night.  Thanksgiving  Day  we'll  fill  the 
house.  We'll  ask  Aunt  Sue  and  the  admiral, 
and  Harriet  and  Dick,  and  the  twins  of  course, 
and  —  who  else,  Philip?" 

"  I'd  like  to  ask  McQuade  if  you  don't  think 
he'd  shock  your  aunt." 

"  Shock  her  !  She  dotes  on  rough  diamonds. 
And  there's  somebody  else.  I'll  give  you  three 
guesses." 


THE    MASTERY  397 

"Redfern?" 

"  Nonsense." 

"Maddox,  then?" 

"  No,  seriously.  Some  one  we  like.  A  bene 
factor." 

"  The  man  who  married  us  ?  " 

"  No,  stupid  !    I  mean  Dan." 

"  Oh,"  Drew  said,  "  Dan  the  street  arab." 

"  Dan  the  matchmaker,"  Katherine  amended. 
"  Dan  Cupid  !  He  told  me  that  a  fresh-air  soci 
ety  sent  him  to  the  country  once.  He  said,  *  Me 
an'  me  brudder  picked  cross-eyed  Susies.'  I 
must  have  Dan." 

"  Dan,  by  all  means." 

"  I've  the  menu  all  planned.  We'll  begin 
with  grape-fruit  in  baskets  —  baskets  made  of 
the  shell,  you  know ;  then  a  clear  soup ; 
green-pea  timbales ;  baked  bluefish  with  cu 
cumber  sauce  ;  wild  turkey  —  Philip,  can  you 
carve  ? " 

"  Better  say  haggle,"  he  laughed. 

"  Wild  turkey,  cranberries,  sweet  potatoes, 
stuffed  egg-plant ;  a  creme-de-menthe  sherbet ; 
duck  —  " 

"  I  never  could  carve  a  duck ! "  put  in  her 
husband. 

"  Duck  with  celery  salad  ;  burning  mince  pie 


398  THE    MASTERY 

and  cheese  ;  frozen  souffle  ;  and  coffee.  Is  that 
worthy  of  the  day  ?  " 

"Jove  !  "  Drew  exclaimed.  "  Do  you  suppose 
dinner's  ready  ?  You've  given  a  naturally  keen 
appetite  the  edge  of  a  Toledo  blade." 

Katherine  was  seized  with  a  laughing-fit  which 

o  o 

drove  her  to  sit  down  on  the  doorstep  and  gasp 
for  breath. 

"  I  should  have  told  you  when  cook  warned 
me,"  she  brought  forth  at  last.  "  Now  it's  tragic." 

"  What  is  tragic  ?  " 

"Your  dinner — your  Excellency's  dinner! 
The  butcher  has  left  us  in  the  lurch,  and 
you're  going  in  for  shepherd's  pie,  which  is  only 
poetic  license  for  hash." 

It  proved  the  poetry  of  hash,  in  truth,  and 
Drew  refused  to  be  frightened  at  Katherine's  lurid 
pictures  of  what  might  occur  in  Albany  with  the 
Executive  Mansion  under  her  charge.  He  said 
little  while  she  touched  this  possible  life  more 
seriously,  and  dwelt  on  the  pleasure  of  a  return  to 
a  spot  endeared  to  her  by  countless  associations 
with  the  Speddings;  but  when  the  meal  was  at  an 
end,  and  they  had  begun  the  final  wait  before  the 
library  hearth,  where  a  hickory  log  gave  the  be 
loved  room  its  sole  light,  he  also  faced  frankly 
the  things  which  might  lie  before. 


THE   MASTERY  399 

"  Suppose  I  am  elected,"  he  questioned  so 
berly.  "  Will  it  really  settle  anything  ?  I  can't 
rid  my  mind  of  that  man's  calling  this  bandage  a 
vote-getter." 

"  Dick  said  something  very  like  that  at  Ther 
mopylae.  Why  should  you  care  ?  Who  should 
profit  by  it  if  not  yourself?  " 

"  WTould  you  have  me  an  accidental  gov 
ernor  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  need  be,"  declared  his  wife.  "  Is  that 
a  womanish  confession  ?  " 

"  It's  a  human  confession." 

"  And  it's  human  beings  who  will  judge.  Even 
if  it  should  go  by  blind  chance,  and  that  ruffian's 
missile  elect  you,  the  people  won't  stop  to  reason 
it  out.  To  them  it  will  be  simply  a  Drew  victory 
and  a  Maddox  defeat.  But  it  hasn't  been  all 
blind  chance,"  she  argued  earnestly,  for  she 
counted  the  speculative  man  behind  the  man  of 
action  an  enemy  whom  it  was  her  especial  mission 
to  rout.  "  It  wasn't  accident  which  made  you  a 
leader  in  your  county,  and  won  your  street-rail 
way  fight,  and  caused  Mr.  Spedding  to  single  you 
out  for  a  greater  battle.  It  was  fitness,  Philip, 
which  made  you  Maddox's  antagonist  in  the  time 
of  need,  and  which  I  believe  has  given  you  the 
victory  to-day." 


400  THE    MASTERY 

For  a  long  interval  the  man  was  busy  with  his 
thoughts. 

"  Victory  wouldn't  mean  peace,"  he  commented 
finally.  "  It  would  mean  still  more  battles,  and 
an  ending  no  one  may  guess." 

Katherine  slipped  to  a  floor  cushion  beside  his 
chair  and  clasped  her  fingers  across  his  knee. 

"  I  think  it  will  mean  President  Drew,"  she 
said. 

"  Your  boom  is  so  early  it  will  get  frost 
bitten." 

She  would  not  smile  with  him. 

"  I  think,"  she  added  gravely,  "  that  this  room 
in  which  my  father  made  his  great  renunciation 
will  yet  see  you  triumph  where  he  failed.  As  a 
girl  I  would  sit  here  dreaming  of  it,  hoping,  pray 
ing  that  his  chance  might  come  again.  Now  I 
shall  dream,  and  hope,  and  work  for  another." 

"  My  chance  should  have  been  his  chance." 

"  No." 

Something  in  her  tone  made  him  draw  her 
closer.  The  proud  head  drooped  in  its  supreme 
surrender. 

"  No,"  she  murmured.  "  I  would  not  have  it 
other  than  it  is." 

The  tall  clock  at  the  turn  of  the  staircase 
leisurely  struck  nine  with  a  quick  pattering  echo 


THE    MASTERY  401 

from  a  cuckoo  in  the  shadows  above  their 
heads. 

"  If  the  returns  are  coming  in  as  usual,  they 
know  the  truth  at  headquarters  now,"  Drew  said. 
"  It  would  be  more  sensible  for  us  to  be  planning 
against  defeat.  What  do  you  say  to  Europe  this 
winter?  If  we  sail  before  the  holidays,  we  can 
be  in  the  Azores  when  my  rival  delivers  his 
inaugural  address." 

"  Then  Spain  and  Algiers,"  smiled  Katherine. 
"  I  must  see  Algiers  this  time." 

"And  Cairo,  and  the  Nile  —  perhaps  Constan 
tinople." 

"  And  Athens,  and  Rome,  the  Italian  lakes  in 
the  spring.  I  know  such  a  paradise  on  Como," 
she  went  on,  kindling  over  her  memories.  "  I 
can  almost  smell  the  oleanders  !  We'll  stay  in 
northern  Italy  till  the  summer  drives  us  into 
Switzerland  or  the  Tyrol,  when  we  can  make  up 
our  minds  whether  to  do  Russia  and  the  North 
Cape,  or  work  up  toward  Paris  and  London  by 
way  of  the  Low  Countries." 

"  Defeat  doesn't  look  so  forbidding." 

"  Indeed  it  doesn't.  When  I  think  of  Lake 
Como,  I  almost  wish  —  " 

The  bell  of  the  telephone  in  the  hall  tinkled 
faintly  and  then  burst  into  a  long  sharp  trill. 


402  THE    MASTERY 

Europe's  pleasant  places  were  blotted  from 
mind. 

They  rose  hand  in  hand. 

"  It  must  be  victory,"  Katherine  whispered. 
"It  must  be  victory." 

"  Yes,  this  is  '  The  Beeches/  "  Drew  said  as  he 
stood  at  the  instrument,  Katherine  hanging  upon 
every  syllable.  "  Did  you  say  New  York  ?  Yes, 
this  is  Drew.  Drew  !  D-r-e-w,  Drew.  Oh, 
good  evening !  I  didn't  recognize  your  voice. 
This  wire  buzzes  abominably.  I  said  this  wire  — 
What's  that  ?  Yes  —  yes  —  yes.  The  state  goes 
—  Say  that  again.  You  don't  mean  it !  Land 
slide  ?  I  should  say  so.  Thank  you,  old  man. 
Eh  ?  Yes,  we'll  give  the  people  a  business  ad- 
ministra  —  " 

Whereupon  "central"  told  New  York  that 
the  connection  had  been  abruptly  broken  at  the 
new  governor's  end  of  the  wire. 


THE   HENCHMAN 

BY 

MARK  LEE   LUTHER 

Author  of  "The  Favor  of  Princes,"  "The  Reckoning,"  etc. 

Cloth  i2mo  $1.50 


"Its  picture  of  American  political  life  is  at  once  the 
fairest  and  most  illuminating  in  recent  fiction  —  perhaps 
in  all  fiction." —  Town  Topics. 

"  As  a  revelation  of  the  methods  of  machine  politicians 
it  is  admirable."  —  New  York  Commercial  Advertiser. 

"  Written  with  simple,  telling  directness.  .  .  .  Worth 
a  man's  time  to  read."-  —  Boston  Herald. 

"A  most  entertaining  story."  —  New  York  Mail  and 
Express. 

"  A  remarkable  book  ...  a  masterpiece  in  its  way."  — 
New  York  Times. 

"  A  really  interesting  political  novel ;  a  strong,  thought 
ful  study  of  American  character.  .  .  .  Should  be  pre 
served  in  American  libraries,  as  a  truthful  picture  of  the 
average  life  of  this  period."  —  Kansas  City  Star. 


THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

66  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


THE  FAVOR  OF  PRINCES 

BY 

MARK  LEE   LUTHER 

Author  of  "  The  Henchman,"  etc. 

Cloth  i2mo  $1-50 


"  Those  who  are  always  on  the  lookout  for  something 
worth  reading  in  fiction,  and  whose  appetite  has  been 
somewhat  disturbed  by  poor  stuff,  will  find  a  good  tonic 
in  this  very  clever  story."  —  Buffalo  Commercial. 

"  Mr.  Luther's  story  not  only  gives  an  insight  into  an 
important  epoch  of  the  world's  history,  but  it  impresses 
the  reader  with  the  manliness  and  strength  of  candor  and 
honesty,  compared  with  the  cowardice  and  real  weakness 
of  shams  and  intrigue." —  Chicago  Tribune. 

"  The  story  moves  rapidly  and  is  full  of  absorbing  in 
terest.  The  secret  of  the  Pompadour's  power  over  Louis 
has  never  been  better  disclosed  than  in  one  chapter  of 
this  book.  ...  A  better  written  and  more  absorbing 
book  would  be  hard  to  find."  —  Boston  Budget. 

"  An  exceedingly  interesting  romance  which  depicts, 
with  marvellous  fidelity,  the  unrest  and  turmoil  in  the  air 
preceding  the  French  Revolution." —  Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

"  An  entertaining  tale  of  adventure,  ...  of  sustained 
interest,  and  exciting  plot."  —  New  York  Observer. 


THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

66   FIFTH   AVENUE,    NEW   YORK 


DC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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